Mailliard Moments

Birthday & vacation ketchup

2011-03-03T11:47:00.000-07:00

2-3 months behind...better late than never??

This Christmas we were able to visit Mike's family in California. We were also joined by his sister & her family from Oregon. Since we never take actual "vacations", we included a mini day trip to Hollywood this time. It was the first time any of us (except Mike) had been there.

December 31st is always a big day at our house. This year Tyler turned 7 & Annie turned 1. And we can just quickly skip over the fact that mom turned 33 a few days later. (Not nearly as exciting). I have included a few pictures from their special day.

I wanted a picture of them together on their birthday. Annie had other ideas.

Dances in Heaven

2011-03-03T11:13:00.000-07:00

This is my Grandpa.

He passed away a few years ago. My boys still miss him so much & talk about him all the time. He left this earth before Annie was born. However, I am convinced that she knows him very well. You see, Annie loves to dance with people. She doesn't just like to be moved around like most little girls. She lifts your hand, and puts her hand flat in yours. When I was little, and also my kids, my Grandpa would hold us close & dance hand-to-hand, cheek-to-cheek, just like Annie does now.

We have been remodeling the living room the past few weeks and had to take down the pictures to paint the walls. When I was deciding where to put the pictures back on the walls, I placed one of my Grandpa on a small table. Annie walked over to the picture, pointed to her Great Grandpa, put her hand up just as if she were dancing with him, smiled & moved around. I couldn't help but have tears in my eyes.

Here is a picture of her dancing with her Daddy. You can see how happy he makes her :)

Are you a subscriber?

2011-02-11T11:45:00.000-07:00

Attention readers:
If you receive my blog updates directly to your email inbox and wish to continue to receive them, please enter your email address in the subscription box on the right side of the page HERE. If you wish to no longer receive updates via email, no action is required. This change is to be sure my readers have more control over their subscriptions.

Also, I apologize for being so far behind in my posts. Hopefully more will be added in the near future.

Home Tour

2010-11-17T14:18:00.003-07:00

For those that aren't up here to see the new place yet, here are some pics for you to have a little tour. We have many decorating plans, but this is the beginning of it all (with a little of what we have done so far). Please forgive the dark pics. It was a very cloudy day. We'd love to have you come visit!

Smooth Move

2010-11-12T14:04:00.003-07:00

You'd think that having moved 9 times in the past 11 years we would be old pros, right? Unfortunately, not quite so. However, Mike did have a genius idea for this past move that I wanted to share. I only wish he would have had the idea sooner so we could have applied it to everything that was in storage too & not just in the house.

Pretty much everyone tapes the bottoms & tops of boxes when moving & then writes on the top with a marker based on what the contents of the box are, what room it will go into, etc., right? And then, as a ton of people are helping pile all these boxes into your new place, they mostly end up in one room, all piled on top of each other so you can't find that one certain box...sound familiar? Here's the solution: Buy a bunch of rolls of duck tape brand duct tape. Yes, this brand matters. They come in MANY different colors. Get one color for each room of the place you will be moving to. When you pack a box that will be going, say, to the kitchen, peel off 2 small squares of the color designated for the kitchen & place them on the SMALL ENDS of the box. Not the top or the long side...the small ends. This way you can see them more easily if you stack boxes sideways & usually fit more boxes. If you want to take the extra step of labeling the specific contents of the box, feel free. However, with as many boxes as end up with miscellaneous contents that just need to go to a specific room, this seemed (at least for us) to get them in the right place a whole lost faster. Enjoy your move!

Signs, Signs

2010-10-25T09:59:00.003-06:00

Have you ever had a small doubt about anything and then seen something that wiped all doubt away? That's how I feel things have been recently for our family. We really thought we would be living further south than where we purchased our home. We only walked through one home in this city & more further south. I looked at the house first & Mike went through later. When he went through, he really didn't say much. I always felt good about it, but still wondered just a bit if we were making the right decision... especially not being sure of what he was thinking. Then the two of us walked out the front door. He then pointed out the tree in the front yard. I believe it is a birch (could be an aspen). Either way, he suddenly had a tear in his eye. This tree was the same kind that his grandparents had in their front yard while he was growing up, and was a very sentimental thing to him. We have a picture of us, soon after we got married, in front of that tree. Then, I turned around and couldn't help crying myself (and I'm not usually that emotional!!). Right by the front steps I saw just a few little purple pansies. When I was little, my grandpa used to sing a song called "Little Purple Pansies" to me. It was his favorite primary song. At that moment, it really felt like our grandfathers were hanging out together in heaven, looking down at us saying, "Yes, this is it!!"

Fast forward about 2 months. The night we finally got the key to the house was a very rainy one. I went out on the back deck & saw an absolutely beautiful, bright rainbow above the trees with the mountains covered in fall colors in the background. It was like another sign. A sign that things were finally getting better. I know they won't be perfect, but I felt like I could finally take a sigh of relief. My family is where we need to be. I have included the pictures below. Unfortunately both were taken from my cell phone and aren't the best quality, but I hope you can enjoy them anyway.

Quiet or loud, He is there.

2010-10-10T09:16:00.003-06:00

Last night, I had just gone to bed and was just on the edge of sleep. I then heard a loud crashing sound coming from the other room....the kind that jolts you out of bed. Annie also heard it & started crying. I found 2 shopping bags on the floor in the kitchen that I know had been on the counter for hours, untouched. At the time, I wondered how on earth they ended up on the floor with no one around to touch them. I went back to the bedroom to calm Annie back down. Usually this works with just a Binky. Not this time. She didn't want the Binky & started burping a couple times. So, I got her out of bed to be sure she got it all out. I went to the living room to sit with her for awhile. A few moments later she started vomiting severely. This continued pretty much all night long. Luckily we figured from the beginning that this was very likely a reaction to some new food she had tried at dinner and not the flu. We did the usual, taking care of all the mess. But during all the chaos, I couldn't stop thinking about the shopping bags on the floor. Then Mike pointed out the obvious. It was the holy ghost making sure Annie and I were awake before she threw up in bed, possibly aspirating fluids, etc. You may or may not believe in a holy spirit, but for us, we knew there were greater powers working to protect our baby that night. There was no other explanation. It all made perfect sense. I am so grateful for the times I am able to listen and feel that something just isn't quite right. The Lord works in mysterious ways. He knows best. He is there.

Learning Early

2010-10-05T19:04:00.002-06:00

Tonight at dinner, Grandpa asked who wanted to say the prayer. As we all looked around, one hand went up...Annie's. Pretty impressive for a 9-month-old. All we could do was laugh :)

Annie's 7 month photo shoot

2010-09-16T11:42:00.004-06:00

Are you tired of seeing pics of my beautiful little girl yet? Well, I'm not. Never know if this will be the last baby for us, so we're living it up with the pictures!! We have a tradition in our family that when our babies are 6-7 months old, we have them photographed in a little metal tub with a rubber duckie. Last month was Annie's turn. My friend Kirsten just happened to have a metal tub, so she got the job. I think she did fabulous!! Here's one for a preview. Click HERE to see more.

Almost Breathing

2010-09-09T07:27:00.004-06:00

Almost breathing...that is the best way to describe how I am feeling. The past week has been likely the most emotional, crazy week of my life. Last Monday, Mike went back into the mobile home park office to request the fax (see previous posts). When she refused to even look at him, he removed the mouse from her hand, put it next to her hand, and said to stop ignoring him, that this had to get done. She then refused to do anything while he was there, stating she was going to call the cops. He put his fist on the desk, telling her basically how ridiculous this is & how rude she was being. She then proceeded to call the cops in front of him, and locked him out once he came out to the car to tell me what was happening. Keep in mind, I could see what was happening and at NO time did he ever threaten her life in any way at all. Cops arrived, talked to everyone involved, and let us go without any issue.

Later that morning, we got a call from another potential buyer, stating he finally had all the money together to buy & move the home. Hallelujah!! I was thrilled! So at this point, we knew we'd be moving, but not sure exactly when.

Fast forward to Tuesday night. At about 6:45 PM, I opened my front door to find a letter taped to it, stamped by a deputy or constable, stating we had 3 days to remove our family, belongings, AND home from the property or would be heading to court. Wow. First time we've ever had an eviction notice. And we ALWAYS pay on time. This time, Maria took it past the cops letting Mike go, twisted the story into a HUGE lie about her life being threatened, and was taking the power into her own hands by trying to evict us. Mike then spent most of the night looking up the legalities of evictions, discovered we had some rights to extend our stay a bit longer and fight back, but at that point, I had FINALLY hit the end of my rope emotionally. We were downright mad & the kids were totally confused & scared. I was then determined we would leave ASAP. Well, when ya have to work full time and take care of kids, 3 days is just NOT possible!

To be sure that we were still in the right, knowing she went about the eviction process incorrectly, we proceeded to put in a 30-day notice and paid the last 30 days of lot rent, doing everything involved to cover our tracks just in case. Meanwhile we worked with the buyer to speed things along as quickly as possible. As of Friday night, we had the moving truck half loaded. Mike was originally scheduled to work on Saturday, but at the last minute got it off, thankfully able to help us all day Saturday. We continued packing, loading, cleaning, and doing tear-down of the house to help out the buyer. By Sunday morning, we were outta there! Note, at this point, we still did not have any money from the buyer...going on trust being in such a hurry. Oh, I forgot to mention, we also got word that the park manager was wanting to press charges against Mike. So, we had no idea if cops would show up again or what would happen!

Now I failed to mention, in the mess of all this, I still could not stop thinking about a home I had looked at about 3 weeks earlier. Somehow we knew something was going to happen & I guess you could say we were preparing. Seems to happen that way repeatedly when we move. I believe it was that Friday, we signed papers to put an offer on a home in Brigham City, near my family's home. Thankfully, after minimal negotiations, the offer was accepted.

This is not a simple sold-moved-done situation. Nothing would surprise us. We still would not be shocked at all if the manager tries to come after us for anything. People talk about taking losses on homes because of the economy. Our loss came to over $10,000...not just based on what we could have gotten (that would be over a $15,000 loss), but over $10K directly out of my checkbook. That was a painful one to swallow, but a price we finally decided to pay for the safety and sanity of our family. We call it bail money. That was one major reason we decided to look in Box Elder county. We got a loan with $0 down because of being in a rural area, and the sellers have agreed to pay our closing costs.

My parents rushed down last weekend to help us move. On the way, my dad felt strongly impressed to write a bill for congress to basically give more rights to mobile home owners. I do not doubt the Lord's hand in this, knowing I hit the end of my rope, but that we still couldn't back down and leave all these families without help after our attorney didn't do his job. This may be a long process in the works, but hopefully with good results in the end. Thus, almost breathing. I feel like I can't fully breathe until we know this is all completely done.

This has been a truly bitter-sweet situation. The bitter has been blatantly obvious with all my recent rants. But I would be so ungrateful if I didn't find blessings among all of this. We have gained so much knowledge through this process. But most of all, we have met amazing friends & ward members along the way. We would not be the same without the experiences we have had, and for that I am grateful. We are going to miss St. George and all our friends there, but are also excited for this next chapter in our family's life.

Here are a few pictures of the house being almost ready to move, and the last a picture of the house we put an offer on.

Thank you all so much for your continued support.

The July Storm

2010-08-26T14:12:00.003-06:00

I just realized that I forgot to post about our incredible storm that happened July 30th & the damage it left us with. So, here's a link to the pics of our damage. We have just gotten the check from the insurance to begin the work. So, if I refer to the house damage in future posts, you'll know what I'm talking about. Basically, we have to re-paint the house, replace the awning that blew away & probably the posts too since they are now tipping, replace a bunch of skirting pieces, possible work to the porch, repair a leak in the roof (fixed this week), fix the damage that did to the living room ceiling, and replace some shingles. The holes you see in the skirting are actually from some mega hail that hit. I don't have a house next to mine, so when the wind & hail came, it ripped through the empty lot & attacked my house. And the good news....now it'll be even better for any potential buyers when we get it all fixed!

Is That a Light I See?

2010-08-26T11:34:00.003-06:00

Is this a little at the end of this tunnel we have been in for so long? Possibly! (Hopefully I won't jinx myself by posting this ;)) Bear with me while I ramble for a bit.

Several months ago I had a guy from Connecticut contact me. It was very strange because he saw the house on the internet & right off the bat sent an offer, sight unseen. He also requested it furnished. I asked which furnishings he wanted included for me to be able to consider his offer. Pretty sure he didn't need the bunk beds & cribs, but I had to know...especially since his offer is less than what we owe on the mortgage, but we're looking to go extreme measures at this point to get out. To cut this a little shorter, this guy has hardly answered any of our questions to him and has only responded, usually with another offer, ever couple of weeks. Very flaky!!

About 2 weeks ago I had a couple look at the place. They actually own a mobile home park about 190 miles from here and were looking for homes to move to that park to rent/sell. This opportunity would be PERFECT!! This way we would be able to bypass the park manager here, not having to get an application approved!! They seemed impressed, but many have before & all disappeared. Finally about 1-1/2 weeks later, they called back wanting more information. The last few days I have been having my bank send his bank necessary information to help him hopefully get the financing.

Meanwhile, our prospect in Connecticut wrote back with a proposed potential offer for us to once again "consider". I stated that I would accept pending approval from the park and would get the necessary forms sent to him. Over the course of this week, Mike has talked to our park manager at least 4-5 times requesting that she fax a copy of the application to a number for him. (OK, so she thinks it is his, but we don't want her to have his info & convince him to go buy one of her properties, so it is a "regulated" fax number.) All she has sent at this point is a letter requesting he contact her directly to give his address and other information. I THINK NOT!!! We demanded again, and she has lied directly to us stating that she has sent it...hmm....where could it be? Oh, by the way, she refuses to just hand one to us to send him. Weird?? And this prospect once again has not responded to my emails.

So, back to the couple that looked. They are not putting a direct offer in until they know if they can get financing...fair enough. So we will continue to send whatever information they need in hopes of this working out. They actually seem serious...hallelujah!! So, as I told my mom, if you happen to be including us or would consider throwing in a few extra prayers, please don't pray for us. I know, sounds crazy, but it hasn't exactly worked yet. New plan...Please pray for Cody (potential buyer) to get approved for financing and that it will go smoothly. This would be a great opportunity for him as an investment, and a great way to get us out!!! I really don't want to leave my friends & ward down here, but I do feel we need to be closer to family and want out of the mess in this park. Hopefully this is the next step in the right direction.

For now, we'll get to work on fixing the damage from the storm & hope this will be the perfect place for someone very soon.

Housing Crisis pt. 3

2010-08-19T15:54:00.003-06:00

For all of you who have been following this drama, here is the latest.

As far as the "spies" go, they actually called the manager to report that my friend stopped in the empty lot driveway next to my house for a max. of 30 seconds to pick up my kids for school. She found this unacceptable and called my friend's husband to let him know it.

We have received our so-called "second notice" from the park's attorney. The first notice was received in March, 2009, and the latest August, 2010. This states we are to cease and desist doing running a business from our home. We have discussed this with the park previously that we do not run a business from our home. My husband simply has to drive his work van home because they do not have an office within hundreds of miles of our home. He is considered a "remote tech". We do not sell any products from our home or do any advertising. This also bothers us because the park rules state that we are to receive a notice from the park before any legal action will be taken. They have skipped past their own rule to go directly to their attorney.

Awhile back I mentioned our attorney not responding to our calls & having no clue where our lawsuit stands. On August 17th, I called and left a message with his answering service. No call back....not a surprise. The next day my neighbor, who is also a party in the lawsuit, sent an email to the attorney's mother....as they have discovered that is the only way to possibly get through to him. (Note, she works with her son, the attorney). The neighbor was demanding answers for those of us involved as this has gone on far too long. He even had to threaten reporting his actions to the Utah State Bar if we heard nothing. Finally, a response!!

The attorney wrote back, in short, stating he has been struggling with mental health, family, and financial issues so we might want to hire another attorney. (That would have been nice to know...oh, a year ago...before we ran up the bill!!)

Also, the courts apparently decided to move forward with at least the neighbor's injunction portion of the lawsuit. They mailed out a notice of the hearing within a week's notice, but somehow the attorney never got it and neither did the neighbors. According to the attorney, the courts should allow us to re-file based on the above mentioned circumstances with our attorney and not receiving the court notice. As a result of not showing up to court, the case was then dismissed "without prejudice".

OK, that might be fine and dandy if we hadn't already put money into hiring him. And at this point, any money I have in savings I'm debating whether to use toward hiring another attorney (with unknown results) or paying off whatever is left of my mortgage if I ever get an offer that is approved on this house, being that we are already planning to take a loss.

And by the way, still no response from the 4 news stations I have written to. I am hoping more park residents will also write, making obvious the need for assistance in this situation affecting many, many families.

So, there is the "shortened" version of it. Now we are back to square one trying to figure out what to do & where to go. Mike is working on forming a residents association as a forum where we can collectively gather information from concerned residents. Aside from that, just more reading on the state laws and decisions, decisions.

Week with our Thomas friends

2010-07-25T19:25:00.003-06:00

We were privileged to have our friends, Greg & his daughter Sera visit us this past week. We all wanted to save money while they were here, but still wanted to visit some local fun spots. I think overall we did pretty well & a great time was had by all!! Although the best parts of the week were all the laughs we had just spending time together, here are some of the highlights of our activities:

We visited an extinct volcano about 15 miles out of town. The boys still love to collect lava rocks each time we visit. We also took them to see the outside of the St. George temple & visitors center. Always such a beautiful, peaceful place. Annie got to see the Christus statue for the first time & was in awe.
Rather than spending the money for tickets to Tuacahn, we attended the Music of the Night pre-show. There were 7 performers who sang & danced to songs by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The talent was amazing! Annie even smiled a bunch...especially when they were dancing. For those who don't know, Tuacahn is an outdoor amphitheater where broadway shows are performed among many other events. People come from all over to see these shows. It is only a few miles from my house & to get there you either have to pass within 1/2 block of my house or 1/2 mile on another road. So if you're ever headed to Tuacahn, drop on by to say hi. We'd love to see you!

After our visit to Tuacahn, we went hiking around Dixie Rock and another area nearby referred to by some as "Fat Man's Misery" or the narrows (but they are not the actual narrows of Zion's Park). I am still amazed by the incredible scenery we are surrounded by.
The last night of their trip we stayed home to celebrate Utah's Pioneer Day. How Pioneer Day also became a day for fireworks is still beyond me, but I like it! Good food, friends, & a fireworks show was the perfect ending to a fun-filled week with friends. Thanks Thomas family for coming to visit us. We love you guys!!

Which came first?

2010-07-25T18:41:00.002-06:00

At dinner tonight, Mike started up the discussion of "Which came first...the chicken or the egg?" Of course the boys had to debate this back and forth for a bit. Finally, Tyler declared, "Dad, God put the chicken on the earth!" Can't argue with that one!

Housing Crisis Continued

2010-07-09T10:45:00.004-06:00

At the risk of sounding redundant, here is a more detailed explanation for those wondering of some of the reasons we want out of this place. These again are just the beginning of the tremendous list. Some are ridiculous and annoying to us while others are illegal, and yet no one has been able to stop these actions.

Park will approve a potential buyer for a park-owned home after denying them for a resident owned home listed for the exact same price on the same street.

Park will approve a buyer, previous resident will then purchase another home, and then buyer will then be denied, only to have previous resident in a financial mess, frequently losing at least one home to the bank, then being turned over to the park for their profit. This has happened to many families!

Manager has yelled at children living outside the park coming into the park, telling them they will be sent to juvenile detention if they are seen here again. (doing NOTHING wrong)

Manager has yelled at children for riding their bikes on the street. Note, we don't have sidewalks and are only allowed to have rocks/gravel in front yards (many surrounded by bricks to keep tidy). Where are they supposed to ride?

Residents are not allowed to add fences to their yards, but park owned homes can do this to theirs.

Residents are not allowed to rent/lease homes to others, but park owned homes are being rented out.

We have received eviction notices for having only a few weeds and also for having a few of our small rocks spill over into the gutter (easily happening when children all over the neighborhood come through the yard). Apparently I am supposed to watch this 24/7!

Manager has attempted to get a pet deposit from residents who own pets more than once after it has been already paid ($200), some only for having pets, some per pet, and not being returned when pet dies.

Neighborhood children have been ordered off the yards of other residents by the manager when they have had permission to be there by the home owner.

I gave written permission for my neighbor to park in my driveway when we were not here, but the manager put spikes in the driveway to not allow this.

Manager has offered to approve sales for resident owned homes if they will pay her several thousands, but they are again approved for park owned homes at same cost.

Previous park maintenance has damaged resident owned homes and refused to pay for repairs, but demands the residents repair them (not Shawn!!)

Management has spies in park. Manager has forbidden certain residents from speaking to me or my family. When they are seen with my family in the park, the manager is contacted.

Parks that are supposed to be for children to play on are never fully installed, leaving nowhere for children to play.

The ends of the streets are chained off, forcing fire dept. to cut through chains each time they need to get through in an emergency. This is not illegal, just quite annoying. However, if residents want to get around the corner to a nearby house still located in this neighborhood and have to go over or around chains, they will get reprimanded if caught.

Some residents are allowed to park in empty lots while others are towed or their guests' cars are towed. Our guests are expected to park at least a block away and walk to our house...which I don't feel right about when it is 105+ degrees outside! And my guests can't park on one of the next streets in the extra parking spaces and walk around because they would have to go around the chains and get in trouble for that.

As stated before, cash offers have been turned away supposedly due to "credit worthiness", but they refuse to make credit requirements known.

I was told to remove my realtor's sign, but the park was allowed to put their for sale signs up all over.

Our children are afraid to go outside to play during the hours that the manager is here. If any neighborhood kids see her car coming down the street, they all run inside the house out of fear.

I have had potential buyers request an application be faxed to them for park residency, but have been told that they are now required to apply in person so the manager knows they are the actual person with that social security # (although I can't see why they couldn't still lie in person if they really wanted to). I however was able to apply via fax. Hmm...wonder when that one changed. Other residents have admitted to not even filling out an application.

Various state licenses are required to be fulfilling the job duties they have legally. These licenses have expired, which are all public record. No one will do a thing about these either. What good is a license if no one enforces it...especially when over hundreds of families?

...and the list goes on. This doesn't even properly convey the feelings of anger, frustration, etc. felt by so many involved with this neighborhood. If you have any suggestions on how to get results, please contact me. Thank you.

If you missed the beginning of this story, you may find it by clicking HERE

Housing Crisis

2010-07-08T16:19:00.004-06:00

**Disclosure: If you are here to read one of my happy little blog posts and want nothing else, please stop reading now. I feel the need to vent & rant today.**

Many of you know of our current housing situation and the 8-year battle we have been fighting. Here's a quick re-cap. We listed our mobile home for sale approximately 8 years ago. The market wasn't so good at the location it was, so we shipped it South after several years to a location where we were told they were selling great! Apparently that was a complete lie by the park manager where we moved it to, just to get us there. We left it vacant for a couple years (still on the market the entire time) and then ended up moving back into it after losing a job. We have since then been doing lots of fix-ups and improvements. Frankly, I think it looks pretty darn good...especially for a mobile home!! Unfortunately, the park managers have denied nearly every buyer we have had for various excuses, none very clear to us. They have done this with many other families as well. This among a mountain of other things has made us want OUT!! We are currently involved in a lawsuit against the park owners & managers with other families to try to resolve these situations. It has even come to the point that many realtors in town refuse to even show homes for sale in the park because of not wanting to deal with the manager. Thankfully, I have an awesome agent who has bent over backward doing everything she can.

After working with an attorney for over a year now, pretty much nothing has happened. We have had promise after promise that a settlement offer & results would arrive within a few days. A year later...here we sit...same manager, same owners, no sale, etc., etc. To top it off, the attorney's office is next to impossible to get a hold of so we can't ever figure out what is happening. OK, so we are essentially suing with no consequences if they decide to flat out ignore it??? I DON'T THINK SO!!

So, I again called the Utah Department of Commerce, Division of Real Estate, today seeking answers. In the Utah codes of law, it specifically states that it is illegal to unreasonably limit the sale of a home. That is OBVIOUSLY happening here. They should have answers, right? NOPE!! At least this time instead of just telling me that mobile laws are hard to understand, they said, "No state agency oversees mobile home parks." Oh, so we OWN homes but we have no rights in the state? EXCUSE ME??? I am SOOOOO DONE putting up with this crap & being denied any rights, especially when I have a stinking mortgage!!

So today I took the next step in hopes of something decent happening. I have done this in the past, but I am doing it again with the inclusion that the state is basically refusing to help. Hopefully it will matter now. I have written to Bill Gephardt, an investigative reporter at channel 2 news. If we don't hear anything from them, I will contact another news media and another until someone can help get me some answers and results. We own mobile homes for crying out loud. We don't have the money to hire another attorney just because ours isn't doing his job!! I'm sure the state would be protecting standard home owners in this case, we MUST have rights too. Please pray for results soon. Thank you.

By the way, if you would like to see the latest look of the house, Click Here

"Mark"ing our blessings

2010-07-07T08:24:00.003-06:00

We have many friends who we consider blessings in our life, but one particularly special blessing to my family goes by the name of Mark. He lives in Pennsylvania. We were so excited that Mark was in town last night for a job interview and was able to come visit for a bit.

Mark was Mike's college roommate. For many, that alone can forge a lifelong friendship, but this one goes beyond that. I believe Mark changed more than just Mike's life...he also changed mine before I even met him. He planted the seed that gave me the husband I will be blessed with for eternity. When Mark introduces people to Mike, he says, "Mike converted me back to the gospel." To which Mike responds, "And then Mark baptized me."

Almost 13 years ago, Mike was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I know this may always be a controversial issue for Mike's family being catholic, but it has been such a blessing in our lives, following our beliefs together, and having the gospel in our family's life. Two years after his baptism, Mike and I were married in the Salt Lake Temple and sealed for eternity. This was only the beginning of many more blessed events. For these, I will be forever grateful to Mark.

Thank you, Mark. We love you and your beautiful family (and hope to see them again soon)

Oven Hot Mamas!!

2010-06-27T13:30:00.002-06:00

Check out this new recipe blog created by me & my friend, Kellie :) Recipes will be added periodically with pictures eventually too. We hope you will enjoy the recipes on this site & find it a great resource to help you out with the ever-present question of what to cook for dinner, dessert, etc. If you are ever interested in contributing recipes to this site, please email them to me & I will post them with recognition to you!
Click here --->Oven Hot Mamas

Summer 2010 kid pics

2010-06-21T11:08:00.004-06:00

A few samples & a link to recent pics of the kids from June 2010.

More Pics

Lake Powell...finally!

2010-06-21T10:41:00.004-06:00

The kids & I were invited by friends of ours to join their family for a trip to Lake Powell this past weekend. The time away was much needed! It was our first time there. (Hopefully Mike will be able to join us next time!) What a sweet family they have, even inviting us to stay in the home of relatives. It was a such a pleasure spending time with them & getting to know more about them & their family. We all had a great time at Lake Powell. It was so fun to see Annie's reactions to her first time in water that wasn't a sink or bathtub. She was apprehensive at first, but eventually really liked it. The boys were thrilled near the end of the time at the lake when 2 mallard ducks came to join us. The next day we took a tour of the Glen Canyon dam. What an amazing feat of engineering! Since I took so many pictures, I have only included a couple here along with a link to the rest if you are interested.

Click HERE to see more pics of our trip!

Brigham trip June 2010

2010-06-17T14:11:00.005-06:00

Behind yet again. Amazing how crazy life gets. Here is a little re-cap of the last couple weeks.

At the beginning of June, I went with the kids to visit my fam in Brigham. I finally had a much lighter work load to take along. It was wonderful to be able to just enjoy time with family & friends. Unfortunately, once again Mike was unable to come with us since we are saving his days off for December to go visit his family. Hopefully someday we will all be able to travel together more often. I do appreciate that he lets us go, and misses us while we are gone as we do him.

Here is our beloved B on the mountain & the view from my parent's house. I miss that place!

Grandma & Grandpa had a fun weekend planned for the boys. We rode the Frontrunner train to Salt Lake & then the Trax train around town. We went to lunch, visited the planetarium, did a little shopping, and hopped back on the train for the ride back. The kids loved it!

I took the kids, my brother Brian & a good friend of mine from high school to visit the Bird Refuge & Peach City. Most of the refuge was closed, but we got a few pictures in. Our goal this year is to visit some of the "basic" tourist spots in Utah that we have never been to.

Another night we were able to visit with a few friends in Roy. We did a little shopping & went to dinner. It was great to see them all again. (Missed pics on that leg of the trip)

Another highlight of our trip was cooking hot dogs & smores over the fire pit with some other friends.

Spoiled? So!!

2010-05-28T08:30:00.004-06:00

Could you say "NO" to this face?

Well, I couldn't. We were in the store yesterday when Trenton showed a few outfits to Annie. She grabbed onto this one with all the strength in her tiny arms & wouldn't let go. So, this time I gave in. At least she chose something cute!

Do you wear a helmet?

2010-05-28T07:54:00.002-06:00

Do you wear a bike helmet when riding? I don't even own one right now, but I suppose it's ok for now since my bike also is not in working order. I am guilty of not cracking down on the kids every time they go out without one. Hopefully this will encourage others as it did us to be more proactive.

Mike's cousin's husband was recently training for a bike race when he was struck by a car. He has bleeding and swelling of the brain, a broken shoulder, a broken wrist, and lots of scrapes and bruises. Thankfully he was wearing his helmet or they're quite certain he would have lost his life. He is making improvements, but it is a long road ahead to recovery. Please click the link below to see the impact these helmets take in an effort to save lives!

http://craigcampbellcrashrecovery.blogspot.com/2010/05/always-wear-helmet.html

Tyler's Kindergarten Graduation

2010-05-10T13:44:00.001-06:00

He was dressed as a veterinarian for the program. Unfortunately he forgot to bring a belt & had to hold his pants up the entire time...that kid never fails to make us laugh!

It's all about family

2010-05-10T13:00:00.003-06:00

We went to California last week to attend the funeral for Grandma Loya, Mike's Step-mother's mother. She was always such a sweet lady & we are blessed to have known her. It's an unfortunate reason for a get-together, but it was great to see all the support and love for the family. It is times like these that are the hardest to be so far from our families...when we want so badly to be there during the tough times. My sister-in-law, Meike, was such an inspiration throughout Grandma Loya's sickness in her last weeks. She was by her side in the hospital nearly 24/7. Rosemary (Mike's Step-mom) told me that was her mother's wish....to not be alone. And thanks to her wonderful family, she was not alone. After all the tears were shed, the luncheon/wake after the funeral ended in the most fitting way I could imagine for Grandma Loya....breaking the silence with mariachis!!! That's exactly how she loved to party!! You couldn't help but laugh & cry all at the same time!

We were also able to see Mike's grandmother, mother, & one sister while we were there. Those are the pictures I have so far. I'll try to post most pictures on here soon, but this is what I have for now as my camera battery died.

April Adventures

2010-05-10T12:48:00.007-06:00

Almost caught up...April 2010
Soccer Games:
Our little kickers & the little cheerleader

Dale & Darlene (Mike's mom) joined us for Easter this year & met the new granddaughter. The dress Annie is wearing is one Dale & Darlene got for her on their recent trip to Mexico. Cute, huh! Tyler has a hard time staying clean doing anything, but he did have fun!

Trenton's choir performance at Tuacahn...he waited all year for this & did a fabulous job!

Trenton's Golden Ticket

2010-05-10T12:38:00.004-06:00

March 2010

Trenton was the proud winner of a golden ticket after winning the Pinewood Derby for his age group in scouts. We were proud parents because he had made nearly the entire truck himself. Most kids make Pinewood Derby cars....of course, not Trenton! If it would have all gone his way, it probably would have been a duly truck with extra wheels! He even did his own advertisements on the side of the truck. The wheels ended up covering most of it, but he wrote: Flatbeds.com. Hmmm....children in the age of computers!!

Annie's Special Day

2010-05-10T12:10:00.005-06:00

I didn't realize how far behind I was on this blog. So, looks like I'll be catching up from the past few months. First, back to March 7th. The family drove to Brigham for Annie's blessing in my parent's ward. We chose to do the blessing up there so more family & friends could attend rather than everyone driving so far to get to us. The weekend was wonderful. We were able to see many friends & family members & felt so lucky to share her special day with them. Yes, I am rather biased, but my little angel was absolutely beautiful in her little white dress. One of my favorite songs kept going through my head. It's called What Heaven Sees In You. I tried to include the MP3 on this blog post, but couldn't figure out how. I am frequently teary when I hear that song. It seems to have extra special meaning to me. We have known Annie would be coming to our family even before our boys came. If you ever want to know the story, just let me know. Long story short, she is named after my great grandma for her first name, & my parents for her middle name, so this day was incredibly special for us. We were even lucky enough to be able to see my grandma twice on this trip. The first time Annie saw her, the look in Annie's eyes was incredible! It was as if she had been looking for her & seemed to say, "Oh, there you are!" She couldn't take her eyes off her. It was sooo touching! Even with all of her health problems, she was able to make it to the blessing. Annie was blessed on March 7th by her Dad. I am so grateful that he is able to do such a special thing for her.

Mini Staycation

2010-05-10T11:48:00.003-06:00

I have been giving myself such a hard time lately. I feel like we are a rather "duddy" family. We really never do much beyond the chaos of work, sports, & school activities for the kids. In the 10-1/2 years that Mike and I have been married, the only nights away from the children were when I was at the hospital to have another one, or if one of us was on a business trip. We have never taken a vacation that wasn't to visit family (don't get me wrong....we love our families dearly, but someday we have a dream to take an actual vacation just for the fun of it!) Sometimes this along with the other stresses of day to day life just get the best of me. This past weekend it happened yet again & I had to get out. Thankfully my friend Kellie somehow knew this & invited me & the kids to go to the splash pad in town with her family for a picnic & fun. To us, it was like a mini staycation. We had a GREAT time! I couldn't help thinking, "We're actually out of the house & doing something!!" Here are a few pics of our fun day.

Mother's Day Contest

2010-04-27T12:51:00.002-06:00

"Need a great Mother's Day present? Check out "Jenny Lynn Photography" for a great idea!" And by the way, there is a picture of me with my sweet little Annie on the ad on Jenny's page....fun stuff!! You can also enter to win a FREE photo session. Check out the details on her site! She does amazing work! Crossing my fingers that I win!!

Where is Home?

2010-04-14T15:05:00.002-06:00

We are facing a big decision soon...well, that is, hopefully facing a decision. We have an offer on our house (not a good one, but it's an offer & with our savings we'll be able to at least get out of the house). If the buyer follows through rather than disappearing like so many others & actually gets approved by the managers, we need to decide where we want to live. There is a possibility that we could transfer to another location with Mike's job. Our "permanent" decision also may not be made right away as we may have to rent for awhile first. OK, enough of my rambling. Here is the question...If you had the choice, how would you choose where your family would live? We are in a fabulous ward & have made wonderful friends here, but we also miss being close to family. Of course we'll pray, but there are so many things to factor in, so I want to know how you would decide. Thanks for your input!

Big Hearts

2010-03-30T10:03:00.003-06:00

When I was little we had a parakeet. Whenever one of us was sick we would hang out on the couch for the day with our pillow & blanket. The bird would sit on the pillow essentially taking care of us...somehow knowing something was wrong.

Yesterday Tyler wasn't feeling well. Later in the evening he was lying on the floor a few feet away from Annie, with his head turned away from her. She managed to scoot herself across the floor to be next to him. He tried to scoot away, but she was persistent until she could be close enough to touch him....possibly knowing he needed some extra love that day.

On Sunday, there was a young man named Tyler J. who was chatting with me in primary. He was commenting on the flower clipped to Annie's headband. His mother makes them for his sister. He actually described to me how to make them. When I told him it sounded like he could do it, he got the biggest smile across his face that I had ever seen on him. Now, this may not seem like much to some of you, but here's why it is. Tyler J. has a learning disability & usually is not the most outgoing child. On Monday, Tyler J. showed up at my doorstep with a brand new, big pink flower clip for Annie that he had made. He even told his mom not to worry, that he could come to the door by himself to deliver it. I have seen many of these clips, but this has to be, by far, the most well constructed I have ever seen. He did an amazing job! When I clipped it to Annie's hair, there was that big, warm smile yet again.

We always seem to find the biggest hearts & blessings in the smallest of things. I hope you can see them in your life too. They always make life better!

Caught ya smiling!

2010-02-21T15:44:00.003-07:00

Valentines at the Deadwood Saloon

2010-02-18T11:57:00.003-07:00

This year we had the pleasure of spending our Valentine's Day (the night before) with a great group of friends. Some creative geniuses (definitely not me!) came up with the idea of having a murder mystery dinner party. They did an AMAZING job! The theme was Murder at the Deadwood Saloon. Everyone was assigned a character ahead of time. My character was Holly Hickok, a gambling southern belle. Mike was Clay Coldwell, basically a gambling cowboy. I am a terrible actress & certainly didn't pull off the accent well, but we still had TONS of fun! I borrowed this picture from one of the gals & here is a link if you'd like to see more on my friend's website. since I forgot my camera. I hope she doesn't mind!!! Her husband is in the picture with me. I was busting up laughing while he was soooo "into character".

Lynn Poulsen for auditor

2010-02-18T11:28:00.002-07:00

In case you haven't heard the latest, here it is...My dad is running for Box Elder County Auditor. If you know of anyone who lives in Box Elder County, Utah, please spread the word. He is the most qualified candidate for the job, in addition to being an amazing man. You can see his resume on his website: Lynn Poulsen for Box Elder County Auditor It's great to know someone trustworthy is running for an office & I know he will do great things for the community. Best of Luck, Dad! We love you!

Also, if you are a member of Facebook, be sure to find "Lynn Poulsen for Box Elder County auditor" & become a fan to show your support!

Annie's Photo Shoot

2010-01-19T13:00:00.002-07:00

A good friend of mine, who is a photographer, wanted to take some pics of Annie. I may be partial, but I think she did a fabulous job & wanted to share. Her pics are copyrighted, so I have just added a link for you to see a few of them. We won't be at the top of the page for long, so hopefully you'll be able to see them soon. Click here: Jenny Lynn Photography

She's Here!!

2009-12-31T16:30:00.006-07:00

Well I guess we're good at getting tax write offs instead of free diapers for the New Years baby. December 31st was Tyler's 6th birthday. We started the day off bright & early by welcoming our newest family member.

Annie Lyn Mailliard
December 31st
4:10 AM
18 inches
5 pounds

I have a great appreciation for medicinal technologies that can assist with pain. Unfortunately I didn't get to take advantage of any of that. That's not to say I didn't want any, just couldn't have any due to allergies. So she arrived entirely "drug free". It was an incredibly painful experience, but I have a new sense of what I can accomplish having gone through it.

Still Growing....

2009-12-14T14:46:00.002-07:00

I had another visit with the doc today. Aside from my continually dislocating & incredibly painful pelvis & frequent contractions, all is going well. I'm soooo ready for this baby to be here (except the fact of so much shopping left to do for her. I haven't even bought diapers yet!!), but apparently she is still not quite ready. I am only dilated 1 cm. I must remind myself we are lucky that she is still growing where it is best for her to be, whether I am insanely uncomfortable or not. For those of you too far away to enjoy seeing my ever growing bump, I have included a picture at 35 weeks. (It's even scarier underneath with the increasing number of stretch marks creeping higher each day.) Hopefully this will be the last update before we post some pics of our new little one :)

The Greatest Gifts

2009-11-29T17:10:00.004-07:00

I have had a recurring theme enter my head the last few days, so I wanted to share, even though this is probably simply a lesson for me to remain positive in spite of pain.

The other day we were at the mall and Tyler wanted to visit Santa. He was given a coloring book by the helpers. On his way out of the mall he read the cover. It said, "You are the Greatest Gift." He didn't agree that he was a gift. We told him he absolutely is. He then said, "But I'm not a gift from Santa. I'm a gift from Jesus." I believe my greatest bits of knowledge and things that touch my heart the most come directly from my children.

Another gift I am so incredibly grateful for right now is my family. I love my family here, but this particular instance I wanted to mention my parents. They are amazing. They joined us for a wonderful Thanksgiving and then spent the rest of their vacation helping me clean my house & doing so many odd jobs that I haven't been able to do lately. This means more to me than they know.

Some of my friends from high school came by for a visit this week with their family, which was also a gift for me to see them again.

Finally, one more gift from this week. Due to a pipe bursting down the street, we had the water turned off for several hours. We called a family in our ward who was visiting their family in Vegas. They didn't hesitate for a moment to tell us we were welcome to use their home for water, showers, dinner, etc. My ward and especially the friends I've made in my ward have truly been a blessing in my life.

I have been searching for a video that I had a few months ago. A friend of mine again emailed it to me this week. The boys heard the song only once or twice months ago, but still sing it on occasion. It is a beautiful message. Please play the video below if you have a moment to enjoy it.

Family Night

2009-10-03T13:28:00.003-06:00

Have I ever mentioned what an awesome husband I have & what an amazing father he is? We had a rare opportunity last night of having Mike home from work while the kids were still awake. We took advantage of this moment by having a family night. Did I also mention Mike is a creative genius? Thank goodness...I never have the grand ideas that he does! For this family night we made temples out of sugar cubes (& a few other foods the boys decided to add). They had such a great time! Mike's creation is on the left, Tyler's in the middle, & Trenton's is on the left.

Trenton's homework

2009-09-30T16:38:00.002-06:00

Trenton had a writing assignment this week. His topic was: If you were stranded on a desert island, what three things from home would you miss most, and why? Usually, this kid is sooooo not into his writing assignments & will write only 1 or 2 lines...and that's stretching it. Today, I was quite proud and wanted to share his story. Here it is:

If I were stranded on a desert island what three things from home would I miss most and why? I would miss my mom, dad, and my little brother. I would miss them because they are my family and I love them. If I was stranded on an island by myself I would get my phone and call them and wait for them to get a boat and rescue me. If it was supposed to take them five hours and it took them eight hours then I would get my phone back out and call them again and ask what's taking them so long. If they said that they were stranded on another island that is about a mile away then I would get my swim suit on and swim all the way there. -by Trenton

Still a girl!

2009-09-21T16:48:00.003-06:00

We went in for another doctor visit & another ultrasound today. We'll have the results of the ultrasound hopefully soon once the doc sees it. For now, we know it's STILL a girl! We were happy to have the reassurance of that. I think Trenton was especially grateful. He told me this morning it couldn't be a boy & he just knew it was a girl...he didn't want another brother!

A real boy...or a man??

2009-09-12T10:49:00.002-06:00

Trenton was so excited yesterday when he said, "Mom, I'm finally like a real boy! I have armpit hair!" He tried to show me, but no matter how close I looked, I just couldn't see it. He was rather disappointed & promised that he saw some...even if it was really, really short. Amazing how it's so exciting at this point!

My Hero, My Son

2009-09-04T10:36:00.002-06:00

I am so overwhelmed with emotion right now & had to share. Maybe the hormones make that feeling a bit stronger right now, but either way, I'm incredibly grateful. Trenton & I were in the front yard pulling weeds this morning. I was actually feeling pretty good & wanted to get something done before it got too hot. After the rain last night, the weeds came out quite easily. I went to the backyard to throw some weeds in the dumpster. As I was walking back around to the front yard, Trenton came running to me from clear across the yard. At the time I thought I was fine. He said he just felt like he needed to give me a hug. He then looked at me and said, "Mom, are you ok?" I suddenly realized at that very moment how close I was to passing out. He helped me get to the porch to sit down. I could barely make it there even with his help. I can only imagine what would have happened had he not suddenly wanted to give me a hug in the middle of his weed pulling & been right there for me. I know he was inspired to be there at that moment for me. I know I never say it enough, but I love my kids! I am so grateful he listened & followed that feeling.

Belly & Baby Update

2009-08-31T11:16:00.003-06:00

So far as we know, all is still well inside with the little one. They moved my due date back by 1 day (come on, seriously? 1 day?), so I haven't changed it on here. The doc did say that they didn't get a good enough view of the spine, so he ordered another ultrasound, scheduled for September 21st. For all you "belly watchers", here's the latest pic at 20 weeks.

Anahera Gifts...Win!!

2009-08-28T12:23:00.002-06:00

Not only do I love to enter for my chance to win something, but here's what makes that even sweeter....when it's something so dang cute & made by my friend. My cute friend is having is having a giveaway on her blog of adorable baby gifts that she makes. Check it out here: http://www.anaheragifts.blogspot.com/

The result is in!

2009-08-17T19:24:00.005-06:00

After the many years being surround by 3 brothers & then 2 sons (who are such a joy, but we're feeling a little testosterone overload here!), we're finally expecting a GIRL in our family! I'll spare you all the bum shots. If you're still interested in the proof, I can send you the link ;) I have included one of her profile shots with her toes nearly touching her forehead.

We took the boys to see the ultrasound since they had never seen one before. Trenton was intrigued & I think Tyler was just in shock for awhile being in a doctor's office. First, she waved to us, which got quite the laugh. Then, she placed her little hand right between her legs to block our view, crossed her legs, and had the cord in the way. After convincing the tech she could poke away as much as necessary, we finally got a decent view. As Mike put it, "Something's missing". Later, Tyler thought that meant the baby was broken & was pretty worried. Once they realized everything is just right, Trenton said, "We got just what we wanted." It's so fun to see the boys excited for a sister.

Tyler's writings to Grandma

2009-07-25T18:46:00.003-06:00

My apologies to any of you who might be regular readers of this blog. I realize I'm way behind on posting anything. We are still alive. Nausea practically 24/7 with this new baby has kept me from being in the mood to do just about everything. Mike pointed out that it's time to post & suggested this since we got such a kick out of it.

A couple days ago, I was instant messing my mom on the computer & sending her messages from the boys. I then left the room & Tyler took over on the computer & decided to send a few messages on his own. Since not all of his messages may be completely clear as he spells phonetically & with no spaces, I'll include the translations.

Tyler: ilicu (I like you)
iluvu (I love you)
Grandma: Good job. You are so smart.
Tyler: yesiem (Yes, I am)
(At this point, Grandma had left the room for a bit. I was now back in the room & told him this. Here was his response, to which I had to call & tell her to go back to the computer.)
Tyler: typplez (Type please)
Grandma: Ok--what shall we talk about?
Tyler: pokemon (He spelled that one right)
Grandma: I don't know much about him--what do you know?
Tyler: hawtored (How to read) (I guess he only caught the second part of that one)
Grandma: Yes you do
Tyler: doyo (Do you?)
Grandma: Yes I am reading what you are typing. Do you think I am smart too?
Tyler: yes
(The conversation soon ended after Tyler sent a few more smiley faces & said bye). We enjoyed this & hope you did as well :)

Trenton's Special Day

2009-06-12T16:13:00.001-06:00

There are milestones throughout our lives that make us stop and think various things...whether it is how proud we are, how old we feel, how far we've come, etc., they tend to be inevitable. For us, one of those milestones was last week. Trenton chose to be baptized. We had a great heart-to-heart talk the night before when he wasn't sure if he was really ready. It was so touching to hear my son's desires & feelings. I'm so proud of who he is....even if I don't show that as much as the yelling about his messy room. He really is an amazing boy who has blessed our lives.

Freezer Friendly Request

2009-06-03T15:35:00.003-06:00

I started a freezer meals group with a few friends in the area a few months ago. Unfortunately, we have lost a few members as we've gone, but hopefully we'll grow in the near future. So far, I have absolutely loved having this group. Of course it's fun to get with a group of adults once a month (even if it is only for about 30 minutes), but it has also been a huge time saver, money saver, & fun to try new things.

Now, my friends, I have a request. If any of you out there know of any tried & true freezer friendly recipes, please send them my way...via comment, email, etc. I have some in a few cookbooks, but am always looking for more ideas...especially since my taste buds are currently on strike!

Thanks in advance for any help!!

Our Growing Family

2009-05-15T14:18:00.001-06:00

A family down the street from us sold their house recently & needed somewhere to stay. They all stayed with us & a great time was had by all for the past 2 weeks. Their parents joined us the first week, then worked on moving & stayed in the Northern end of the state this past week while the kids stayed here. We will have the kids (2 boys, 1 girl) here while they finish school next week also. One of their children is in Trenton's class at school. I was telling him to be sure to watch out for his "new brothers & sister". As he agreed that he'd stick up for her if ever necessary, she then replied, "Yeah, and if anyone tries to bug him, I'll punch 'em!" We all had a good laugh...especially since she is about 7 inches taller than Trenton & 50% Tongan.

Oh, and while we're on the subject of our growing family, please feel free to check out the progress on the side of the main blog page for baby updates for the next approx. 8 months. Haven't been to the doctor yet, but so long as "the stick" is right, according to calculations, baby #3 should be due about January 14th :)

Kids Say...

2009-05-05T12:48:00.001-06:00

Sometimes my kids will pop out with the darndest things. Some just downright funny & others that I'm pretty proud of & hope will stick with them for life. The other night was one of those proud moments. A friend of ours was in our kitchen. Tyler was looking for something in the fridge. Here's how their conversation went:

Friend: Are you looking for something?
Tyler: Looking for a drink (looking at the rootbeer)
Friend: How about a beer? Ya want some beer?
Tyler: No! We don't drink beer.
Friend: Why not.
Tyler: Because that's not how we get to Jesus.

No cheese with my whine

2009-04-22T16:06:00.007-06:00

I'm sorry, but sometimes we all have to do whatever you want to call it....vent, complain, gripe, whine, etc. Today, that's exactly what I'm going to do. Many of you have probably heard my whining on this particular topic (mobile home park manager), so feel free to stop reading now. If you're feeling at all competitive, vindictive, etc. as I am and would like to try brainstorming with me, please read on. WARNING: This will very likely be drawn out, lengthy, & a bunch of scattered thoughts.

As most of you know, I live in a mobile home park. Frankly, I don't think the house itself is all that bad. I do try to remind myself that although we want something bigger & better, we are lucky that we have what we do. And whether many will admit it or not, there is a stigma when you live in a trailer park. And yet, these are only a few among the many reasons right now that I want out.

We purchased this home in about November of 2001 and put it up for sale about 1-1.5 years later. After a few years being on the market without much success at all (which at the time we believed was due to the market in the area, surrounding competition, and our lack of funds to "fix it up"), we finally decided to have the trailer shipped about 350 miles away to a better market in hopes of getting it sold. This was in May of 2006. We found a lot to have it put on, unfortunately, another rented lot. I wish we had the knowledge at the time that we do now, but desperate times call for desperate measures. The manager of the park we moved it into told us enough questionable things to put on the application that we should have dropped it immediately. But, it was the only place I could find at the time. And of course I fell easily into the trap when she told me she'd get my place sold at about $15-25,000 higher than what we were hoping for. It wasn't until months later she said we'd need to pay her. This somehow didn't seem right and nothing was happening, so we hired a realtor. Within the next year we had 5 serious offers. Not a single one of them was approved by the manager of the park. She claims it was all based on "credit worthiness". Interesting considering that a few were cash offers. In other words, if they were to default on rent payments, the park would take over ownership of the house and be able to sell it for their own profit...I can't see how they'd lose. But, when people have their own contracts, it seems they can get away with about anything.

As fate would have it, in November 2007 we ended up moving back into the house. We planned to work slowly to improve it in hopes of catching the eye of a potential buyer. Meanwhile in the spring of 2008, we finally had a buyer be approved for residency in the park. He put an offer on the house which we accepted, but it was conditional upon the sale of his condo first...never happened, he withdrew his offer.

In the span of the 1.5 years we've resided in the current park, we feel as if we're in a prison. I desperately want to get it sold & yet I feel guilty at the thought of selling to anyone I know or may ever see again, knowing what they may be getting into. The manager of the park has one of the worst reputations I've ever seen.

Just to name a few things that have gotten under our skin...she has given us 7-day eviction warnings when we have a few rocks in the gutter (they made everyone put rocks in their front yards, no grass), notices for having a few boxes on the porch within 1 day of them being shipped to us by UPS for Mike's work, parking violations for being in the public parking places, chained off the empty lot next to our lot and put a $100 fine sign on it for trespassing, chained off the end of the street (which gives us a good chuckle each time the firemen come & cut it down to get through), notices for having a few weeds in the yard with a warning of a future bill if they come pull them before we do, and the list goes on and on. We were also told to stop running a business from our home, which we are not doing. Mike has a work van which is parked in our carport and receives a weekly shipment of boxes as there is not an office in our town. We try to move all these boxes to a storage unit ASAP. But we do not sell anything that is used for his employment. When we explained this to the manager, she told us she would talk to the owner about our situation & get back to us. Who knew that getting back to us would be in the form of a letter from the owner's attorney demanding that we cease doing business from our home. The funniest part of that letter was the vague line of "you may also be in violation of other rules and regulations". Hmmm...does that mean that can sue us in the future for whatever they feel like picking out of the woodwork by throwing that in? Can they really get away with being so vague? She also told us one time that if she found the kids' scooters in our front yard again she'd come throw them away and that we had to get rid of their bikes & toys that were in our back/side yard. Seriously? They're kids. It's a mobile home park. Do you really think we're going to go spend thousands to get a shed? She has also yelled at a few neighborhood kids for playing in the street....a street that contains no sidewalks & no grass in the front yards. Where are they supposed to play? Ride bikes on the rocks? All because it says no kids in street in the contract. These are only a few of the ridiculous warnings received by our family as well as others. There are many other things she has harassed other families with including claims of extortion by other families. I just don't see how 30+ families could be wrong time after time, likely a higher number knowing that many won't voice their concerns for fear of retaliation. The police have actually investigated this woman but refuse to arrest her until they have more "solid evidence". Oh, so it's ok to let all these families continue to live in this hell-ish prison? Right!!

So as you can see, it's a continual frustration to be here, fear on the part of many, so we try to just avoid her. Well, this week I finally had to confront the "beast". We decided that if by some unfortunate, horrid twist of fate we are stuck here for another 8 years, we have to at least re-finance to get our loan amount down. Our original loan was set up terribly!! (again, ya live, ya learn). The mortgage process is difficult enough when you receive a 1099. Go figure, the manager just made it harder. The lender that finally approved our re-fi needed some information from Maria, which I later found out was the rules & regulations. Not sure yet if there was any other. In my mind, rules & regs should be public knowledge. I received an email from the lender saying they couldn't get a hold of her & that she wasn't returning calls from their messages. I asked two people living nearby to go in with me (since Mike is working all week), just as a back-up to be sure she didn't throw anything else at me. Both of them were not comfortable going since she could retaliate against them just by seeing them. Geez! What a reputation! So, I finally wrote the contact information down for the lender & went in the office with my heart pounding. I've never met anyone who is harder to talk to in my life! I actually stooped lower than I said I would & played all nice just to get this done. I thought it went better than expected & she said she would call. I saw her later that day & she said the lender was not there, so she left a message. I thought the lender would take care of it from there. I then got an email again today from the lender. They said they had talked to her & she refused to provide information they needed. I was livid!! This is my re-fi. It has nothing to do with her. All she has to do is provide information that should be public. What the crap??? If this had anything to do with the sale of my home, I'm armed with more knowledge of what is illegal. Unfortunately, she had to take it in a different direction yet again to where it's right on the line...doesn't seem right, but what can one do? It's a constant, vicious roller coaster cycle like that here.

So here is my plea for anyone who may still be reading this. If you had any ideas strike you of what I or anyone else residing here may do to gain back some legal & human rights, please let me know. I'd love to know if there is anything we haven't tried yet...or some loophole to get through it all.

Meanwhile, if you know of anyone who is strong willed & has no problem following all the rules, whether they are ridiculous or not, that may be interested in a mobile home that looks great & has had many improvements done, please send them to: http://utahmobile.blogspot.com

All I ask now, is please keep us in your prayers. I hope that doesn't sound selfish or worldly, but I'm ready to move on from this and settle with my family in a new neighborhood.

Ketchup on March's top 10

2009-04-03T10:07:00.018-06:00

OK, so this really has nothing to do with ketchup. I'm just playing "catch-up" on being behind on a few posts. I left my camera at my mom's house for awhile. My awesome brother came to visit & brought it back to me. So, here are some of the highlights from the past few weeks.

1. Tyler has taken a huge interest in the piano recently. He has even started to compose his own songs. He's not far into it yet, but it's so cute to see him actually writing the notes on paper & playing the notes over & over while brainstorming what will come next. The first song I taught him was Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater. I think Trenton was a little jealous, so Tyler then taught Trenton how to play. I just loved how he put his fingers on top of Trenton's fingers to show him exactly which notes he was supposed to play.
2. I actually had both boys peacefully (if only for a few moments) doing chores together. May miracles never cease!!3. I finally painted what is hopefully the last room in this house....the kids room. They finally agreed on some colors. The hardest part for them is they wanted to go bold, but I wanted to stay fairly neutral for the purpose of selling the house while still adding character & warmth. They chose gobi desert (beige) for 3 walls & Americana blue for the wall with the bay window.
4. Next up was a trip to visit my family. Grandma made an especially fun St. Patrick's Day breakfast complete with green food & hats for the boys.
5. Tyler decided Grandma's bathtub makes a great reading spot.6. A Peter, Peter duet with Grandma:7. A visit to see Great Grandma:8. Back home again, on March 28th, my brother Chad & my friends Amanda & Greg came from Northern Utah. Along with them, Trenton & I participated in a 5K to benefit ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). Tyler ran in the kids 1K but refused to actually run until Uncle Chad joined him. I won't actually put my race time on here as it was kinda pathetic (but at least I finished...that was my main expectation). I prefer to blame it on the lovely sickness in the weeks before the race, or the uphill climb the second half of the race. Maybe if my stomach isn't so queasy next time & I don't spend so much time leaning over the side of the trail & garbage cans, I may just do a bit better. Anyway, Trenton was amazing! He ran the entire time & beat me by 10 minutes. So much for telling him we'd wait & go at the speed he wanted!9. In the days following the race, it was back to the house projects. The only thing we completed was replacing the outdoor carpet on the stairs & porch in front & back. We had more on the list, but the weather wouldn't cooperate. Thanks so much to Greg for all his help! We also thought we had a good start on the new counter tops until a mis-hap caused the counter to tear. Oops!! So, we'll be hiring extra help on that one!
10. Finally, we'd like to introduce the newest member of our flock, Dewie:

Blue for Boys??

2009-03-12T21:17:00.002-06:00

OK, here's your warning. If you don't like hearing about feminine products, close this now. (nope, it's not graphic.) Sorry if you consider this over-sharing, but it's just too funny to not share.

To fully understand this, you will need to have read the previous post about Tyler's back wound. I have been keeping it moist with Neosporin, gauze & wrapping him in an ace wrap. It's just too large for a bunch of band-aids. Well, I was running out of gauze, so Mike suggested using feminine hygiene pads. Hmm...he has had many crazy ideas, but that one actually made sense! They work great! Tonight as I was re-wrapping Tyler, I asked him to go get the pink box out from under my bathroom sink. OK, some of you may know that some pads are wrapped in little pink wrappers & some in blue. Just so happened I had both in the pink box. Tyler said, "Mom, there is only one boy one left." I had no idea what he was talking about until he pulled out a blue wrapper. I told him we needed two to cover his sores. He then said, "Ooooh, a girl one", as he pulled a pink wrapper from the box. The look on Mike's face by this time was priceless! Oh, the stories we'll have to tell when this poor kid is older! Tyler also requested that we put the boy one on his back first. He even asked me how to put it on so he could do it himself.

Boys will be Boys

2009-03-12T11:27:00.004-06:00

How is it that boys seem to so easily find things that will hurt them? Is it just a boy thing? That's all we know around here!

Yesterday Tyler came in the house crying so hard he could barely get the words out to tell me what happened. Apparently a few neighbor boys had moved the slide from the dirt hill in the backyard to higher up where it would have a jump at the bottom on an area that is sort of terraced. Basically the bottom of the slide ended just before the top of a cinder block wall. When Tyler went down the slide, he didn't land on the dirt below. Instead, his back scraped all along the edge of the cinder block.

After I got him cleaned up, he kept telling me to "put his skin back on". Poor kid is kinda sore!

Junk In My Trunk

2009-03-09T17:39:00.003-06:00

OK, the truth is finally out...we are dumpster divers. Not to the extent of seriously digging through anything disgusting, but when we see something good, we're not afraid to go after it. Most recently at our storage unit we have found quite a few treasures. Among them are a leather ottoman, a mini fridge and plastic storage bins. Nearly all these items have been in new or nearly perfect condition. Today when we went to storage, we saw a few things next to the dumpster and a few others in the dumpster...good thing Tyler is still light (great little helper).

As we were loading our latest finds into the back of the van, Tyler said, "Junk, trunk...hey, I made a rhyme!" Mike said, "You have junk in your trunk?" It was so funny to hear Tyler repeating, "I have junk in my trunk!" Here are some of today's treasures:

Do as I say, not as I do!

2009-03-09T17:32:00.003-06:00

Ever caught yourself saying something similar to "Do as I say, not as I do" ? The other day, Mike was doing target practice with the Nerf dart gun. He later told Trenton that he could practice with his stuffed animals, but not with his brother.

Indoor Boarding

2009-02-21T19:36:00.001-07:00

What is a kid to do when he isn't allowed to go outside to play & isn't allowed to ride his skateboard inside for mom's fear of it scratching the wood floors? Here's Trenton's solution: just add some padding (slippers) to the wheels.

A new use for food storage

2009-02-21T09:01:00.003-07:00

I wondered when I started to store some of our food storage in the kids' closet if this would ever cause any "issues". I got my answer yesterday. It has now been taken over by the stuffed animals with Tyler's help. He thought they needed to eat too. There are only a few in the picture. These were scattered all over the room.

Trenton's Priorities

2009-02-15T09:50:00.003-07:00

Trenton decided to make his own to-do list the other day....all on his own. He then taped it to the wall in his bedroom. Here is it:

To Do:
Clean room
Read
Homework
Turn eight
Buy a house and get rid of the manager

Like to do:
Go swimming
Go to work
Play w/a friend
Get a new bed

Things I've Learned

2009-02-06T19:05:00.008-07:00

I thought I'd take just a moment to share some of the things I have learned this week...some on my own, some with the help of my children.

1. You should love your mom
(overheard Tyler telling this to a little friend when she said she didn't like her mom...proud moment for me!)

2. Children who live in snow-deprived regions of the country will still find a way to make a snowman...even if it is just the head.
(This was created by Tyler using cottage cheese, raisins & a pretzel.)

3. When a child is sick, you better find a garbage before it's too late.
(Apparently Smith's doesn't have enough of them around...learned from Trenton)

4. Grandpa Jim makes the world's best beef.
(Trenton informed me of this...he suddenly remembered the Christmas prime rib)

5. Plastic should never be stored in the drawer under the oven.
(I am getting old....nuff said?)

6. I'm not as tall as I thought I was. Then again, I haven't measured myself in YEARS! That, or I'm shrinking in my old age. Or I suppose another possibility is the fact that my feet have grown 2 sizes in the past 7 years must mean that it is all coming off the top!!

Changes

2009-01-30T16:41:00.003-07:00

Have you ever sat back and thought to yourself how much you have changed through the years? I don't mean just the wrinkles, the extra pounds & extra skin that magically appear, but all the little things too. For example, I grew up the only girl with 3 brothers. Now, I have 2 boys of my own. (Will I always be outnumbered?) I never was a "girly girl". I never dressed up like a princess. I never really cared about makeup until my late 20's. I never enjoyed shopping. I hated panty hose and any other sort of "girly undergarments". I typically owned only 2 pairs of shoes...one pair of sneakers to wear all week & one pair of Sunday shoes...and I was perfectly content with that.

Now fast forward to today. I found myself soooo excited when the UPS man brought me a box that contained my recently ordered boots. I thought they were so cute! Granted, I have no idea how long it will take to learn to walk in them. Never being a girly girl, I obviously wasn't much into wearing heels. Then after 2 foot surgeries 12 years ago, I have very, very slowly worked into heels...probably more to look my age than anything since I stand a whopping 5 feet tall without heels. I bought a pair of black boots about a year ago that were all of approx a 2 to 2-1/2 inch heel. Now these new ones, as cute as they may be, are at least 1 inch higher than the previous boots....and I walk like a penguin! But, they're cute, and for some odd reason, maybe just the fact that I have changed over the years, I am determined to learn how to walk in my new boots :)

Moon Sand

2009-01-24T14:33:00.003-07:00

I am officially NOT a fan of moon sand!

The Christmas Promise (another book review)

2009-01-19T07:17:00.000-07:00

The Christmas Promise by Donna VanLiere

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
OK, another "feel good" book, but not one of my favorites. I enjoyed the story, but it seemed to take quite awhile (about the middle of the book) to reach any sort of climax and get me very intrigued. I found this book difficult to follow at times as the characters & perspectives changed simply from paragraph to paragraph rather than separation by chapters or some sort of marking, etc. Maybe I'm just a novice when it comes to reading much, but I'd like to see more than just a few extra spaces between the paragraphs to know where I'm going with it.

Now, don't let any of that scare you away from this one. It had a great message and I did enjoy how different the characters were & how they eventually all tied together. I wish we had more "Miss Glorys" in the world and that I could be more like her as well. The next book in this series that I have (I believe I am missing one) is The Christmas Hope. Funny that it should be called that as that was the main feeling I got from The Christmas Promise. Guess I'll have to read that one now & see how they compare.

View all my reviews.

Ready to Read?

2009-01-08T17:35:00.003-07:00

Tyler received a new CTR ring on Sunday in his class at church. For those of you of a different faith, CTR stands for "Choose the Right". Trenton also likes to add in that backward it stands for "Return to Jesus." Just a good reminder to have. Tyler informed me that it doesn't spell choose the right. He said, "It spells cutter." He sounded it out very slowly for me. "c-t-rrr, cutter." Guess it's time to be more ambitious in getting him to read!

Tyler's Birthday Party

2009-01-08T17:01:00.003-07:00

Once Trenton started telling Tyler all about his 4th birthday party with friends, it was a little hard to get out of having one for Tyler. Granted, most of the kids there were still closer to Trenton's age than Tyler's, but at least he has the memories now. We waited to have the party until 5 days after his birthday as Mike would be off work & be the "entertainment". He is our balloon tier. He thought at a 5-year-old's party many kids would be thrilled with balloon animals. Who knew the most requested item would be "balloon swords"? And who knew that balloon sword fights could be so loud? The cupcake "sculpture" is also pictured. Though simple, it turned out better than my attempt at cake decorating this year, so it's the only one we'll show :)

Ponchito is 5

2009-01-03T12:55:00.004-07:00

On December 31st, Tyler turned a whopping 5 years old! Ever since Trenton's birthday in May, he has been requesting that we go to Don Pedro's mexican restaurant for his birthday dinner. He really wanted to wear the sombrero, be sung to & get free dessert. They sang "Happy Birtday, little ponchito," to him. As we were leaving the restaurant, Tyler said, "Just call me Ponchito." He was also lucky this year to get one of his wishes...Grandma, Pa & Uncle Brian came to visit!

Christmas in California

2008-12-31T07:47:00.008-07:00

As today is Tyler's 5th birthday & I have so much on my to-do list, this will be a relatively brief post just showing some of our highlights of Christmas this year. We were able to spend some time this year with Mike's side of the family in California & took a day with our family for the boys' first trip to Disneyland. A great time was had by all. The only downers...Disneyland is INSANELY BUSY Christmas week and mom & Tyler were both sick with possible food poisoning at the end of the week. Otherwise, we'll enjoy the memories. Here are a few of them:

Book Review...A Perfect Day

2008-12-30T15:25:00.001-07:00

A Perfect Day by Richard Paul Evans

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
I was trying to think of a word that described what this book meant to me....nostalgic. Maybe it helps that so many locations referred to are in my home state and familiar to me. Maybe it is because of the simplicity of how we are reminded what life is all about. Either way, I loved this book. It brought back what I have been looking for in a book for so long...the longing to find out what was next. I didn't feel like I was "in the story", but I was intrigued by the characters and what would become of them. Many of the scenarios were what one might consider basic, yet it took a very surprising and interesting twist & touched my heart. If you are interested in a feel good story (my favorites), I would recommend this book.

View all my reviews.

Trenton's Snow Day

2008-12-19T07:15:00.004-07:00

Trenton was excited to have his first snow day off of school. I was simply amazed at how quickly they cancel school for this area. I'm from northern Utah where we could have at least a foot of snow and school would still be in session. But here, I guess 2 inches is enough.

Trenton took full advantage and was out building his snowmen first thing in the morning. He was joined by a bunch of neighbor kids for a snowball fight that later ended in his snowmen being knocked down. Luckily we got a picture before that happened.
The next morning when I went to wake Trenton up for school, he wasn't in his bed. The bathroom light was on & the door was locked, so I assumed the obvious. However, after about a half hour & no noise from the bathroom, I decided I better check on him. I knocked on the door, but there was no answer. So, I decided to peek under the door....here is what I found:
Apparently it's warmer in the bathroom over the heat vent than it is in his room. Guess that's more important than a soft bed??

Secrets with Santa

2008-12-16T20:35:00.005-07:00

The other day, I was having absolutely no luck getting the boys to clean their room. Awhile later, my realtor, Cindy, called & said to come on down to her office. She said "Santa Steve" was there meeting with the kids & taking pictures. Steve is actually her husband, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Santa Claus. I decided to take this as an "opportunity of sorts". I asked her if she could slip a little word in so Santa might "encourage" the boys to clean their room. Luckily the boys didn't remember Steve this time.

Last year we went to see Santa at a furniture store. It was a very long line & only seconds with Santa. This time was entirely different. They had quite the little chat with Santa. Tyler was in awe. Both were quite thrilled when they realized Santa's beard was real. They came to the agreement that the Santa at the furniture store last year was just one of Santa's helpers, and this was the REAL SANTA!! Their favorite part was that they said this Santa was soooo funny! They also said that Santa told them a secret & they couldn't tell me what it was. Trent had a little more urgency about cleaning his room once we got home, but at least now they'll believe me a little more when I tell them I have Santa's number...and so does my realtor.

Mobile Home for sale

2008-12-13T11:13:00.011-07:00

We have a mobile home for sale. If you know of anyone who may be interested, please send them this blog & contact me for more information. It is located in St. George, Utah, but can be moved anywhere at buyer's expense.

It is a 1997 3 bedroom, 2 bath, approx 980 sq. ft. Features include:
New paint
New laminate wood flooring in living room & hall
New water heater
New landscaping
Refrigerator, gas oven w/stove, & dishwasher included
Garbage disposal
Carport
Evaporative cooler w/thermostat (more efficient)
2 ceiling fans
& much more!
$29,999....Fantastic deal!

See more pictures

New do's

2008-12-05T07:50:00.005-07:00

Just a little highlight of our Thanksgiving, even if it is a week late. We enjoyed the weekend at my parent's house. We also enjoyed the pleasure of a few added aunts, uncles , and probably the best part for me...being able to spend some time with my Grandma. We did unfortunately have to leave Mike home to work, but we'll be lucky enough to all have a few days together for a Christmas vacation this year. The boys & I also made new friends from my parents' ward that we just adore.

It was a busy weekend. I believe I totaled 9 haircuts, 7 highlights, 1 color, and a new color for me :) Trenton & Tyler were both excited about their highlights too. It's a little hard to see, but here's a pic of our new do's & one of me.

Why did the chicken cross the road?

2008-11-17T07:52:00.002-07:00

BARACK OBAMA: The chicken crossed the road because
it was time for a change! The chicken wanted change!

JOHN MC CAIN: My friends, that chicken crossed the
road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation
and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the
road...

SARAH PALIN: Because by golly, I was gonna shoot
his sorry liberal butt for blocking my view of Russia!

HILLARY CLINTON: When I was First Lady, I
personally helped that little chicken to cross the road.
This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure right
from Day One that every chicken in this country gets the
chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really
isn't about me.

GEORGE W. BUSH: We don't really care why the
chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the
chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is
either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground
here.

DICK CHENEY: Where's my gun?

COLIN POWELL: Now to the left of the screen, you
can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing
the road.

BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with that
chicken. What is your definition of crossing?

AL GORE: I invented the chicken.

JOHN KERRY: Although I voted to let the chicken
cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross,
and I was misled about the chicken's
intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.

AL SHARPTON: Why are all the chickens white? We
need some black chickens.

DR. PHIL: The problem we have here is that this
chicken won't realize that he must first deal with the
problem on this side of the road before it goes after the
problem on the other side of the road. What we need to do is
help him realize how stupid he's acting by not taking on
his current problems before adding new problems.

OPRAH: Well, I understand that the chicken is
having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so
bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his
mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm
going to give this chicken a car so that he c an just drive
across the road and not live his life like the rest of the
chickens.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN: We have reason to believe
here is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have
access to the other side of the road.

NANCY GRACE: That chicken crossed the road because
he's guilty! You can see it in his eyes and the way he
walks.

PAT BUCHANAN: To steal the job of a decent,
hardworking American.

MARTHA STEWART: No one called me to warn me which
way that chicken was going. I had a standing order at the
Farmers Market to sell my eggs when the price dropped to a
certain level. No little bird gave me any insider
information.

DR SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he
cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but
why it crossed I've not been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die in the rain, alone.

JERRY FALWELL: Because the chicken was gay!
Can't you people see the plain truth? That's why
they call it the other side. Yes, my friends, that chicken
is gay. And if you eat that chicken, you will become gay,
too. I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out this
abomination that the liberal media whitewashes with
seemingly harmless phrases like the other side. That
chicken should not be crossing the road. It's as plain
and as simple as that.

GRANDPA: In my day we didn't ask why the
chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken
crossed the road, and that was good enough.

BARBARA WALTERS: Isn't that interesting? In a
few moments, we will be listening to the chicken tell, for
the first time, the heart warming story of how it
experienced a serious case of molting, and went on to
accomplish its lifelong dream of crossing the road.

ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross
the road.

JOHN LENNON: Imagine all the chickens in the world
crossing roads together, in peace.

BILL GATES: I have just released eChicken2008,
which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file
your important documents, and balance your checkbook.
Internet Explorer is an integral part of eChicken2008. This
new platform is much more stable and will never crash.

ALBERT EINSTEIN: Did the chicken really cross the
road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?

COLONEL SANDERS: Did I miss one?

Scentsy Goodies

2008-11-13T13:34:00.005-07:00

I'm posting this blog for a few reasons:
1. I was doing some Christmas shopping at my friend Jenny's house the other day. I knew she was a Scentsy distributor, but had no idea just how great their products are. I went to see what there was to choose from, and I gotta tell ya, I was in scent heaven...so was Tyler. He loved smelling all the different scents about as much as me :) If I wasn't buying for Christmas presents, I'd be buying for myself!
2. I love free stuff & I love good smelly things...what's better than both? So, by posting this, I am now entered to win free Scentsy goodies!! If you want to enter as well, you can go here: Scentsy Goodness

Did I Expect Angels? book review

2008-11-13T07:54:00.001-07:00

Did I Expect Angels? by Kathryn Maughan

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I loved the new insight at looking at things from a different angle. I wish that more emphasis/detail would have been placed on certain parts, but it wasn't imperative. This book was a little difficult to "get into" in the beginning because of the Spanish & broken English dialogue, but this did also add to the authenticity of the characters. I loved the story and it brought me to tears. Overall a great book that I would recommend.

View all my reviews.

Bribing the tooth fairy.

2008-11-11T18:55:00.000-07:00

Last night, Trenton lost his third tooth. He told us he wanted to write a letter to the tooth fairy. Now, please keep in mind, Trent has been given $1 dollar by the tooth fairy for each previous tooth he has lost. His letter went as follows: "Dear tooth fairy. Can you please get me two dollars this time and here's a treat." He placed this into a zip lock bag with his tooth and a piece of candy from Halloween and tucked them under his pillow.

This morning, when he checked under his pillow, he found the bag, now with the tooth, candy, & his letter gone, replaced by a new card. I have scanned the inside of the card for you all to see. Pretty clever tooth fairy, huh?? And the best part...he was so excited to tell us that he has 12 molars!

Relaxation?

2008-11-03T18:41:00.000-07:00

We were forced into a little rest and relaxation at our house today. Trenton stayed home from school, feeling quite miserable. He had a nasty cough, a decent fever, & a massive headache. Poor kid! Tyler also enjoyed the down time...who knew exercise equipment could turn into relaxation equipment.

Halloween '08

2008-11-01T15:20:00.001-06:00

Figured I should put some Halloween pics on here. The night before Halloween, we carved pumpkins. The boys described to Daddy how they wanted their pumpkins to look & he drew the pictures for them to carve.

On Halloween night, we went trunk-or-treating at the church. Trenton was a police detective & Tyler was batman. Still not sure how he saw through his mask! Mike took his balloons to make balloon animals for the kids there. Who knew that would be such a hit! We were the last ones out of the parking lot after an hour & a half. Next year, we're taking numbers for everyone in line.

Crazy Hair Day

2008-10-23T17:22:00.000-06:00

This week at Trenton's school is Red Ribbon Week (drug free education week). They do some sort of fun twist each day to help the kids remember fun ways to say no. Today's theme was "Don't Get Mixed Up on Drugs." They were invited to wear miss matched clothes & have crazy hair. Trenton wanted to have a mohawk...here it is!

New Blogger, Dentist appt.

2008-10-21T19:05:00.000-06:00

OK, so I'm completely new to this "blogging thing". I've had many friends recently encouraging me to give it a shot. So, here I am....feeling completely uninspired & uncreative. But, when something exciting does happen, I'll do my best to remember to put it on here for our friends & family to see. Honestly, probably the hardest part will be remembering to get recent pics on here.

We'll start off our blog with the most exciting event for the day. Tyler and the dentist. We've tried to take Tyler to the dentist at least 1-2 times the past 3 years. Each time, he would stick out & stiffen his arms & legs in an attempt to not go through any doorways. Once inside, it was a lot of kicking & screaming. Basically every dentist realized very quickly he wasn't going to let them even put a finger inside his mouth. Well, today I did my best to psych him up for it. He has expressed interest in wanting a new toothbrush. I told him if he was a good boy & let the dentist work on his teeth without a fight, he would earn one. Even if the dentist didn't give him one, I certainly would do it on my own at that point. Well, may miracles never cease...he calmly walked into the exam room, hopped into the chair on his own, laid down, and let the assistant take x-rays, clean his teeth, floss & apply fluoride. He even let the dentist check his teeth. We actually had to tell him he could shut his mouth when he was all done. He was amazing! And luckily, the dentist even gave him a really cool new toothbrush..even his favorite color. It was a big day for little Tyler. Sorry, I didn't get any pictures of this event. Maybe next time :)