Vacations as a Single Mom

Every once in a while I get a wild hair to jump in the car and take a vacation with the kids while Zak is working. (Lets face it, when is Zak not working?) Every time I do it I have visions of relaxing days by the pool or time filled with fun activities with the kids. Usually by hour 2 those fantasies have crashed and burned!
We have these amazing friends that have a gorgeous home in St. George who have offered us a weekend there. Zak is traveling over the weekend so I figure we could head down there for a few days for some family time, well for some reason, my children tend to fight even worse when their dad is not there. I don't know if they are scared of him or maybe I am less ornery because I have someone there to help me so I don't notice the fighting as much. I am not kidding, on the ride home the 14 year old, the 10 year old and the 5 year old are all fighting over the same Santa Claus blanket! We couldn't go anywhere without Ethan running off, the older girls trying to meet boys, and Chloe whining that something wasn't fair.
Anyways, if you are considering doing this please make sure you are either going to visit family or talk one of your friends into going with you because it is sometimes not worth it. Obviously, I am not cut out to be a single mom, that is for sure! Maybe when they are MUCH MUCH older, we will try it again, but probably not anytime soon!

Media Malpractice

I would be remiss to not share this information with THOSE of you who might be interested. Notice I stress THOSE, if you are not interested than don't bother. This is not about sparking controversy BUT more about sharing information that I think has been sadly missing from the media.
Let me first start by saying, I was mortified by how Sarah Palin was treated by the media. I have been told my whole life that I could be anything I wanted when I "grow up". I have told my daughters the same thing. Today, I don't know if I believe it anymore. Let me also say this, I think any woman in a position of power gets treated unfairly, Hilary Clinton included. Why are women criticized more for how they look than what they have actually done? Hilary is ugly and wears pantsuits so therefore she must be bitter and mean- Sarah is beautiful so therefore she must be stupid. It's disgusting! Joe Biden was a single dad while in the Senate for many years did anyone ask him how he was going to raise his kids? NO. Do we ask Senators or Congressmen what designers they are wearing? NO. Why? Because it shouldn't matter. I am tired of women being treated like sex objects in the media and only important depending on what you wear and what you look like.
This documentary shows some insight into why and how this happened to Sarah Palin. I thought it sounded interesting so I am sharing it with you. Do with it what you will!

Media Malpractice

Ms Cache Valley Outstanding Teen

Lauren competed in her first pageant this weekend. This was definitely her idea not mine. I have always had the impression that pageants were cheesy and kind of superficial. I have to admit I was WRONG. Don't get me wrong there are definitely those pageants out there that are those things, but the pageant Lauren competed in was more about talent and personality than about looks. Let me tell you these things are a lot of work..First we had to fill a 25 page packet out, then a resume, (what kind of resume could a 14 year old have?) Actually we found lots of things to include like she is Capt. of her cheer team, president of her church class, vice president of her choir class, honor roll. etc., then we had to come up with a platform (hers was helping kids get healthy and stay fit). Then we had to practice her talent, her walk, her interview skills, brush up on current events and practice endless question answering that she MIGHT be asked. I definitely have a lot more respect for pageant girls and all the hard work that goes into these things.
Her event was combined with the Ms. Cache Valley Pageant which is 18 and older. The winner of that pageant goes on to Ms. Utah and then on to Ms. America. The winner also received a two year scholarship to USU. Can you believe that? Ms. Utah earned about $17,000 towards scholarships. I couldn't believe that you could pretty much have your school paid for by competing in pageants.
Going into this, we weren't sure what kind of girls would be in this thing but when we got there we were pleasantly surprised to find smart, beautiful, and most importantly friendly girls. Lauren made lots of new friends and it made the whole experience much more fun for her.
The day of the pageant she had to meet with the judges for a one on one interview where they ask you questions about yourself. That night they performed an opening number, a physical fitness outfit, a talent, and evening gown where they had to answer two onstage questions. I have to say as a mother, I don't think I have ever been prouder of my daughter. She has never had to perform on stage by herself and she was on that stage looking like she had been doing this her whole life. She was graceful, confident, and much too grown up for her 14 years. Zak even started crying which makes me tear up just writing it because he couldn't believe that was OUR daughter up there. Even though she didn't win, it will be remembered as one of the best experiences for her and for me. We spent lots of hours practicing and talking about how to present herself, how to answer questions correctly, about confidence and about many other life lessons that I think she will take with her. The best moment of the evening had to be right before she went on- we could see her in the wings and she motioned the words "I Love You" to me. I feel like the luckiest mom in the whole world to have such an amazing, talented, smart, kind, and beautiful daughter!




Lauren and Ms. Utah









Lauren and Mackenzie (the girl that won)

8th Grade Christmas Dance Then....Now

Lauren got to go to her first real dance last weekend. For those of you who went to MLMS you will remember what a big deal the 8th grade dance was! I thought it would be funny to post a picture from mine so you can see the difference (sorry for anyone who is in this pic and sorry for the horrible quality!)

Okay I admit it...I am so commercial!

Usually before Christmas craziness starts, I am not looking forward to all the shopping and spending money but for some reason this year it has been kind of fun! Zak and I went down to SLC for the weekend and got it mostly done in one day. I have to admit it was fun browsing all the shops even with the crowds and debating who would like what. It is fun to think of each person and what they like and what their tastes are. Thankfully, I have a husband who doesn't mind shopping all day. Even if my method of shopping drives him crazy! We try really hard to make sure that person will really like something and ALWAYS include a receipt in case they don't. I think we got some fun gifts this year and I am excited to see them open on Christmas! Now on to Christmas cards!

Life List

I got this list from my friend Lindsay and thought it was fun to see what I have done and what I still could do with my life.... Highlight the ones you have already done.
1. Started your own blog 2. Slept under the stars 3. Played in a band 4. Visited Hawaii 5. Watched a meteor shower 6. Given more than you can afford to charity 7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain 9. Held a praying mantis 10. Sang a solo 11. Bungee jumped 12. Visited Paris 13. Watched a lightning storm at sea 14. Taught yourself an art from scratch 15. Adopted a child 16. Had food poisoning 17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty 18. Grown your own vegetables 19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France 20. Slept on an overnight train 21. Had a pillow fight 22. Hitch hiked 23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill 24. Built a snow fort 25. Held a lamb 26. Gone skinny dipping 27. Run a Marathon 28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice 29. Seen a total eclipse 30. Watched a sunrise or sunset 31. Hit a home run 32. Been on a cruise 33. Seen Niagara Falls in person 34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors 35. Seen an Amish community 36. Taught yourself a new language 37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied 38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person 39. Gone rock climbing 40. Seen Michelangelo’s David 41. Sung karaoke 42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt 43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant 44. Visited Africa 45. Walked on a beach by moonlight 46. Been transported in an ambulance 47. Had your portrait painted 48. Gone deep sea fishing 49. Gone without food or water for 24 hours or longer 50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris 51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling 52. Kissed in the rain 53. Played in the mud 54. Gone to a drive-in theater 55. Been in a movie 56. Visited the Great Wall of China 57. Started a business 58. Taken a martial arts class 59. Stayed up for 24 hours with NO sleep at all 60. Served at a soup kitchen 61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies 62. Gone whale watching 63. Got flowers for no reason 64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma 65. Gone sky diving 66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp 67. Bounced a check 68. Flown in a helicopter 69. Saved a favorite childhood toy 70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial 71. Eaten Caviar 72. Pieced a quilt 73. Stood in Times Square 74. Toured the Everglades 75. Been fired from a job 76. Changed a lightbulb 77. Broken a bone 78. Been on a speeding motorcycle 79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person 80. Published a book 81. Visited the Vatican 82. Bought a brand new car 83. Mowed the lawn 84. Had your picture in the newspaper 85. Read the entire Bible 86. Visited the White House 87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating 88. Had chickenpox 89. Saved someone’s life 90. Sat on a jury 91. Met someone famous 92. Joined a book club 93. Lost a loved one 94. Had a baby 95. Seen the Alamo in person 96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake 97. Been involved in a law suit 98. Owned a cell phone 99. Been stung by a bee
54 out of 99 still lots to do.......Top of my list: Kissing in the rain and serving at a soup kitchen.

Blue Lily Pictures

I thought I would post some of our pics from our session with the AMAZING Wendy Whitacre of BlueLily Photography. I was really happy how they all turned out and now I am pretty sure my kids are the cutest in all of history!

See Slideshow right here---------------------------------------------->