Nice, relaxing, October weekend.

We got alot accomplished this weekend, besides having fun! Friday night, I had a 'ghouls night out' with three crazy fun girls! We went to Tuachan Theatre to see the annual Thriller preformance that Odessy Dance Company puts on. It was AWESOME! I loved it, and can't wait to go again next year!!

Saturday, Josh and I cleaned out the garage, and got the air hockey table up and running. I think it entertained all four of our kids for 5 straight hours! After all the work, we cooked up a delicious German meal, and Josh and I had a little date night. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, couch, sharing a king size Twix= my favorite way to unwind.

Sunday, we all snuggled under our california king duvet and watched Sword in the Stone, then carved pumpkins, and made roasted seeds. But, I am going to have to say that my favorite part about THIS weekend, was Jaxon learning the truffle shuffle :-D


Can you even see them?

Saylor wanted me to take a picture of her baby seed.

Jax couldn't wait to get dressed after bathtime, to eat seeds!!

He would rather color than gut pumpkins.

git it gurl!

Mazzie trying to bite through her pumpkin.

Erik, pre-carved.

mmmmmmmmmmmmm. I have a killer recipe. No joke.

We carved our pumpkins without templates. Can you tell? Eh, it was probably more fun thatway. From left to right : Erik's bat, Makenzie's kitty, Saylor's original pumpkin face HOWEVER it has a bow (can you tell?), and Jaxon's little bat.

SUP Boarding

My mom married Nathan when I was 10. Though they divorced years ago, I grew up on lakes, oceans, any puddle of water deep enough for a fin to not hit the rocks. We went to the lake every weekend in summer to windsurf. I loved trying to learn to windsurf, and I loved when we would just bring an extra board for me to paddle around on. I say this with the most respect..... he is one cool surfer dude. We had breakfast with Nathan and his wife Dacia, and their boys this last Sunday (to DIE for blueberry pancakes I might add), and he got me all hyped up over SUP boarding. It stands for Stand-Up-Paddle boarding. Pretty much surfing with a paddle, but you can do it ANYWHERE!!! Even in St. George!!! How fun would it be to wake up and head to SandHallow for a morning of SUP boarding, as your workout? I have decided that I am saving my dough for a board. Yes, along with a fiberglass skim board I have been wanting all year. I know it seems silly to some, but I would hope that in the summers to come, we will be able to make more trips to the beach to actually catch some waves with the SUP board.

I am gonna take it up and make it a new hobby. And Nathan even pointed out to me how perfect the rack on the top of my truck would be just for that ;-)

ONE CAR GARAGE

Big moment at our place tonight!! Erik lost his FIRST tooth! We came home from Vegas, and the kids were brushing their teeth and his mouth was full of blood afterwards. We told him his tooth was ready to come out today! :-) He was a little scared, I won't sugar coat it, and he thought we were going to hurt him by helping him.....BUT, we wet down a wash cloth to help with the blood, and Josh wiggled it around a bit, and Erik started to cry (you know, that cry when you THINK something is going to hurt out of fear, but it really doesn't). Little did Erik know, that Josh had already pulled the tooth, and then it was just laughs after that!

The toothfairy had to run to buy milk at 11:00PM just to break a $100. All worth it though, the first one is ALWAYS worth a little more (to make up for the fear tears).

We were happy to be able to share this experience with him. He was pretty proud, can't you tell by the look on his face?

"Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.”- Mary Lou Cook

This is the very start of Jaxon's Dopey costume (took the picture with my phone, sorry). More to come of Dopey and Saylor's costume as the witch from the movie!

Here is the Snow White costume I made Makenzie. She is so into this Disney princess right now, it's not even funny. Saylor thought it would be fun to do the whole theme, knowing that no one at her school would be the witch from the movie. So, we are throwing it all together (well not really, since we have had the idea since July)! Sewing the rest this coming weekend!

HUNTINGTON BEACH

During our visit to Southern Cali, there was a heat wave of about 105 degrees. But not here! Beautiful foggy weather, and a nice breeze is the reason this is one of my most favorite beaches. We kinda just strolled the pier, played in the water and built sandcastles, and shopped. It was lovely. It really makes me realize how bad I want to have a getaway with just Josh. As we walked around, the banners above our heads displayed that Oktoberfest was happening soon, and we made a mental note for coming back next year.

So many things I wanted to do, yet with 4 kids, a double jogger, and a Grandma with a stress fracture in tow, it wasn't likely. Like rent a peddle cart for $35 an hour and honk at everyone down the Boardwalk as you go! And skim. And not have to freak about the tide pulling your little ones into the water. All things I will be doing when I go back. For sure. I even dragged my family along so I could price out fiberglass skimboards in Jacks. I now have a clear vision of what I want for Christmas.

Of course, you can never leave Huntington without the following: t-shirts from the coolest store ever, Sanuks, Jacks coffee cups, wind spinners (little ones for the kids, and HUGE ones for Christmas presents) and eating at Taco Surf. If you have never been, you are missing out. It's the BEST mexican food I have EVER lived to eat.

I miss it there already.

Disneyland Halloween fireworks & a cute conversation with Makenzie

DISNEYLAND-2009

We had so much fun at Disneyland!! We also had some interesting adventures!



On our first day there at lunch time, we were all enjoying our Monte Cristo sandwiches (to DIE for) in the Orleans Cafe, and as we left I felt this B-U-R-N in the top of my foot. I had gotten bit by something under our table apparently. It swoll so fast and hurt so bad, I had to be the first in the family to EVER go to the first aid office. After ice, Tylenol, and a little bit of waiting, I was ok. I could live with it ;-)



Lucky us, we even got to break down on Splash Mountain! Immediately after we went down the huge drop, we stopped dead in our tracks, along with a few other logs, and we had to evacuate the ride. It was actually kind of fun! We got to walk through the ride....it's a little eerie seeing all the animals play guitars and move their mouths, but it was dead silent. All we could hear was the robotics of them. WEIRD!!!!! So, after having to go through that, we got a 6 person ticket to be the first in line on ANYTHING that took fast-passes! Space Mountain here we come (no 2 hour wait for us WHA HA HA).



That's not all either! As I waited with the twinners for everyone else to go on Tower of Terror, a bird decided to attack me and peck my neck as I pulled Goldfish crackers out of my backpack. Oh yes. Nothing like a few good stories to make the trip memorable! We can't wait to go back, two days is definately not enough!

Carol and her marine son, Nick

I worked with Carol for a few years at a law office. We became fast friends. I try to keep in touch as often as possible with the circle I was close with at my old work. Thankfully, though I don't see them as often as I would like, we remain in touch quite a bit.

Carol's son, Nick recently joined the marines and immediately pretty much headed to the middle east. Wow. She has been sending him care packages since he left, and she sent an email out to friends that could possibly help. I, then, sent THAT email out to everyone on my Facebook, and got a few great responses. I am just happy to be apart of that. Long ago, I was a Navy wife myself, and understand the struggle.

This morning, I get a text from Carol, to check out this site: http://www.markandmercedes.com/, a HUGE radio station in Vegas. Yup, Carol called in, and now ALL of the Las Vegas valley can help her son's troop. I am so happy for her, I could never imagine the kind of 'high' you would get from that. Of all the people in Vegas, and her story is making air. How very special!!!

a funny, dinner-time story

Conversation between Josh and I at the dinner table

Nicki: "I am going to pack my running shoes for Disneyland."

Josh: "yeah, that's a good idea, that's what I am taking too."

Nicki: "No, so I can use the gym at the hotel."

Josh: "You mean, you are gonna wake up, with smeared churro on your cheek, lick it off, and go work out?"

Nicki: "HEY!!! I can do it at night, maybe on the days we aren't actually at the Disneyland Park."

Josh: "We would have to dangle a Churro in front of the treadmill."

Pretty funny, mean, but so true. Like I would really work out after walking miles and miles around Disneyland.....

SCORE!!

I love when I find something awesome AND useful on the clearance racks at Target. It's a total dopamine high. I am slowly (very slowly) but surely furnishing my house.

JUNE- a Birthday Surprise

I came to Vegas for a very special birthday surprise, for a very special friend. Candace had major birthday plans and kept asking me to come down for the celebration, and I had to make up excuse after excuse why I couldn't be there. Little did she know, 2 other friends and myself had a super secret surprise for her. Blair, our friend, is a DJ on Mix 94.1 in Vegas and happened to have a local hook-up for Love, and a backstage tour after the show. So, we all pitched in and made it happen. Candace had NO CLUE I was coming down, and we blindfolded her until we got to the ticket counter. It was joyous.

The banana picture: This is the ONLY picture they let us take backstage.