Eldredge Evolution

My brother is coming home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-01-12T19:19:00.003-06:00

I just found out today that my brother gets to come home from Iraq, and he will be staying home for good!!!!!! I am so happy and relieved. He messed up his shoulder pretty bad a couple of weeks ago and they sent him to Germany for testing and he found out today he will be sent stateside tomorrow so they can do surgery. When he is finished with that, his new assignment will be to help the soldiers who come back from Iraq tansition back to civilian life. Ohhhh, I am so happy. This is his 2nd tour over there, and he just had a baby 2 months ago, so this will be so nice for him and his family to be back together again!!!! I am so happy :)

Cinnamon Roll Recipe

2010-01-10T17:44:00.002-06:00

So one of our missionaries told us his mom had the best cinnamon roll recipe. So we decided to go ahead and email her to get it and then suprise this missionary on Christmas Day with his mom's cinnamon rolls. He was not kidding!!!!!!! These are the tastiest, softest, most melt-in-your mouthest cinnamon rolls I have EVER eaten!!!!!!!! They are too good to not pass on to everyone who reads this. So here it is. Enjoy

Cinnamon Rolls

1/2 C sugar
1/2 C powdered sugar
1/2 C potato flakes
2 t salt
4 C plus 3 C flour
2 T yeast
1 C butter
3 C water
2 eggs

Mix dry ingredients in large bowl. Add butter mix slightly then hot water. Mix by hand or with mixer for 4-5 minutes. Dough will be sticky. Add eggs and 3 more cups of flour. Stir until all ingredients are incorporated. DO NOT ADD MORE FLOUR!! Dough will be very sticky.

Let dough raise until double. Dough will be sticky. Roll out onto floured surface into 1 largle rectangle, spread 1 stick of softened butter over dough, spread with 1 cup of granulated sugar and 2 tablespoons cinnamon. (she uses brown sugar instead) Roll up dough and cut into 24 even slices. Put onto two greased cookie sheets, 12 per sheet. Let raise until double. Bake 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. When cool, frost with frosting.

We haven't ever measured when we make our frosting, so here is a VERY rough guesstimate of it, so please alter it to your tastes. 2 cubes of butter, melted. Approximately 2 cups of powdered sugar. 2 tablespoons of milk, 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon of almond extract. Mix it all together and taste. Add more of any of the above ingredients to make it to taste.

2010-01-05T20:05:00.002-06:00

So we went out to dinner tonight with my grandparents and parents. It was a nice evening. I have noticed that both my grandparents are getting skinnier and more frail looking, but I haven't really admitted it to anyone, because if I did, then it would mean it were true.....So every time they invite us out, I really want to make it becuase I honestly don't know how much longer they will be around. But tonight as we were sitting there, I couldn't help but notice how skinny and frail my grandma is getting....It makes me sad. I am not looking forward to the inevitable....

Gingerbread Houses

2010-01-03T20:04:00.004-06:00

OK, so we finally got to our gingerbread houses. Actually, it was a gingerbread village, but whatever. We got those from my parents probably the first or second week in December, and just did them tonight, haha. Here are the pics of what our creations made, kinda fun!!!

New Year's Eve Dance

2010-01-03T19:48:00.002-06:00

So the youth had their New Year's Eve Dance the other day. Here are some cute pics from taht night. The highlight, for me anyway, would have to be human bowling... I was standing with a group of our youth, just talking, when the next thing I know, I am on the floor. This guy comes running in our direction and slipped on some water and his feet slid right into me from the side and I dropped faster than I could say STRIKE! After I picked myself up off the floor, I couldn't stop laughing!!! It was soooooo funny.

The other highlight for my night was when one of my young women got on the microphone and announced to all 500 youth plus leaders that it was my 40th birthday that day. I couldn't believe she did that, but apparently most of the youth were in on it. It wasn't my birthday, and I am not even close to 40! Gotta love the youth!!!!

Christmas Day

2010-01-03T18:47:00.004-06:00

Christmas was a fun-filled day at our house. We had most of our family over in addition to the missionaries from our church and a new friend of ours. It was such a fun day having our house filled with lots of people and gifts. I really enjoyed watching my kids open their presents. I had to try and open my gifts really fast when all 3 of my kids were taking a break. It was really nice spending the day with my grandparents and aunt and uncle, becuase we don't see either of them as often as we would like. William is moving back to Utah tomorrow, so it was sure nice to have him around. And we just loved having the missionaries over! I hope we could fill the void of sadness and home-sickness on their part just a little...I know we can't duplicate what they are used to, but I hope they had a fun day.

Julie and Julia

2009-12-23T22:14:00.003-06:00

So we watched Jule & Julia tonight. It was a cute movie. So I totally want to do what Julie did. I want to get this cook book and make the recipes. I will definately have to wait until we sell our house so that I have the money. I am sure it costs a bit to do all those things. So I am not sure when I will start, but for sure I will do it :) Now all I need to do is get my hands on the 2 volume set of Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Another Award

2009-12-23T21:52:00.002-06:00

Sean just got another award at work. This company is so amazing, and we have been so blessed. We are amazed at how great the people are in the company. They really do build each other up and are team-minded. Anyway, here is the award he got. It is a pretty big deal, and we are so proud of him!

Family Home Evening

2009-12-22T10:08:00.003-06:00

Last night was Benjamen's turn to teach FHE. He needed to teach the 1st Vision to pass off for his Faith in God book, so that is what he was planning on doing. The whole week prior to last night I would ask him if he needed any help planning or preparing and he kept saying no. I never once saw him doing any sort of preparation and so I was getting a little nervous come Sunday. But again, when I asked him if I could help him, he said he had it all ready. Last night we had the nice treat of having some cousins over and my parents to join us. We don't typically have guests, so it was nice to have a few extra people join us. I have to tell you I was sooooooooo impressed! I was having to hold back the tears as my 8 year old told of what happened to Joseph Smith. He had a video clip for us to watch, but before he played it, he asked if anyone had any questions. Of course all the little kids had 3 questions each, and I watched him answer each one with patience, kindness and accuracy:) Afterwards, he bore his testimony of the truthfulness of what happened so many years ago. It is so nice to have these moments every now and then to let us know we are doing okay:)

Stake Youth Service Project

2009-12-21T22:21:00.003-06:00

Saturday our Stake had a service project cleaning up some land the church owns across the street from the Temple. It was really nice going, and I really enjoyed learning a few fun facts about our beautiful temple. It is situation on the highest ground in Bexar County. We also learned that all the grey granite on the exterior of the temple were shipped in from China. And finally, we learned that the pavers used for the walkways were excesses from the Nauvoo Temple.

One of the pics is of me with 2 of my young women that went. Another one is of part of the group, and the last one is of a group of girls piling up some wood.

Matthew's Christmas Program

2009-12-21T21:46:00.002-06:00

I was happy that Matthew's school still puts on a Christmas Program. So many schools now are shying away from Christmas anything to be more politically correct or something. Anyway, here are some cute pics from taht day. Matthew is such a great singer! He knew the words to all of the songs. One of the pics is Matthew with his wonderful teacher, Miss Rainey. Another one is him with his very best friend Noah, and the last one is his whole grade level singing the 12 Days of christmas.

Grace

2009-12-21T21:42:00.002-06:00

Here are some funny and cute pics of Grace.

Ward Christmas Party

2009-12-21T21:32:00.002-06:00

Last weekend we had our ward christmas party. It was a lot of fun! I really enjoy spending time with my ward family. We live in such a wonderful ward. The people are amazing. We love them so much! Here are a few pics from the night. Each auxillary had to do a skit or performance. I played a Christmas song with one of my young women. The funny pic is the Elder's Quorum skit, and then there is a pic of Benjamen playing Joseph, and then one of him with his cub scout group.

Handel's Messiah

2009-12-21T21:27:00.003-06:00

I cannot believe I have finally picked my clarinet back up! It has been 10 years. I cannot believe it. I decided to pick it back up to participate in the performance of Handel's Messiah. Our stake sponsored this community event. It was amazing!!! I passed off a personal progress value experience for this:) The hardest thing for me was the fact that I know how good I was years ago, and I am currently not anywhere near that level of playing. But I will admit it was quite invigorating for me!!!

Thanksgiving

2009-12-21T21:20:00.002-06:00

I am finally putting up some pics from Thanksgiving. We had most of our family over and the missionaries as well. We love hosting, and we finally have our own place, so we can do it:)

Girl's Night Out

2009-12-21T21:18:00.001-06:00

We went to see New Moon and then went to dinner. Fun times!!!!

Benjamen

2009-12-21T21:16:00.002-06:00

Here is a cute pic of Benjamen

Benjamen's 1st Pack Meeting

2009-12-21T21:10:00.002-06:00

Benjamen joined cub scouts when he turned 8 in September. This is his first pack meeting and he is receiving an award. Part of the process of getting an award, is the boys will then pin a pin on their mom's as a show of gratitude for their help. It is a nice gesture.

Teacher's Night at McDonalds

2009-12-21T21:02:00.002-06:00

Every year the elementary school works a night at the local McDonalds. It is a fun night when the children get to see their teachers working at McDonalds. Here is a pic of Benjamen with his teacher, one of his friends, and a cute pic of Daddy and Grace:)

The Numbers Are In.....

2009-11-07T12:03:00.003-06:00

Ok. I think we have seen all the bills for Benjamen's broken arm. I know it is expensive to do medical things, but dang, this is expensive... so I tallied the numbers this morning, and the total cost for his broken arm is $10,027.47. DANG!!!! But I guess we have to keep in mind that he had to have surgery, so it wasn't a "typical" break, but still! Thank goodness for excellent insurance! Because of that, we only had to pay our ER co-pay, and our insurance paid everything else at 100%. Sometimes we complain about paying for insurance, but it sure has taken care of us!

Perfect Pic Opportunity.......passed

2009-10-30T11:41:00.002-05:00

Dang. Yesterday I was having a presidency meeting at my house when Grace walks in the kitchen with mascara all over her forhead and eyes and lipstick surrounding her mouth. I was so stressed and frusterated that I didnt' even think to take a pic. How funny that would be to look at right now. Ughhhhh, I guess I should leave my makeup down again so she can get into it again, and then i can get a pic then:)

Be Happy

2009-10-30T11:04:00.003-05:00

So I have been extremely busy lately, which tends to equal me being extremely stressed. I feel bad for my kids becuase they always seem to be the ones who suffer the most when i become busy/stressed. So every day I make my to-do list, and cleaning my house is always on there, but never marked off. Also, I forget to put on there "feed my family", so half the time these days they are fending for themselves. I am not sure why the sudden craziness, but it doesn't seem to be ending. Anyway, my kids were at the kitchen table eating some of their candy from our church's Trunk or Treat, when Benjamen hands me a 3 muskateers candy bar and said, "Mom, I saw on a commercial once that these are supposed to make you happy so you should eat one." I was laughing so hard inside, but I couldn't let him know that. He was being as sincere and honest as he possibly could. Leave it to the kids to keep it real for ya :)

The Thirteenth Tale

2009-10-16T21:54:00.003-05:00

We just read this book last month for book club. This author is quite amazing! She probably is one of the better ones I have read, at least in a long time. The story line was somewhat disturbing, but if you can get past that, it really is a great book. I am excited to read it again. It is one of those books that the more times you read it, the more you pick up throughout. Let me know if you want to borrow it!

Benjamen's Surgery

2009-10-14T22:00:00.004-05:00

My poor Benjamen has had a full couple of weeks! First on his birthday he got hit in the head with a golf club and ended up getting two staples put in his head. Then 2 weeks later he was baptised. THEN, this past Sunday, he fell off of a freezer(why he was up there, i do not know) and put his arm out to catch his fall--bad idea!!! His humurous bone(the bone between his shoulder and elbow) snapped in half and his arm twisted all the way around, also dislocating his shoulder. Poor guy! Anyway, we took him to the emergency room where they took the x-rays and informed us they would have to transfer us to a children's hospital so a pediatric ortho surgeon would have to operate that night. He had two pins put in his arm to hold his bone together and they will be there for 3 weeks. He cannot do PE or recess for 9 whole weeks. He is going to hate that! I documented his day from when we first got to the hospital to his ride in the ambulance to his post-surgery.

2009-10-14T21:56:00.000-05:00

Youth Fall Festival

2009-10-14T18:25:00.002-05:00

We had a multi-stake fall festival for our youth 14-18. It was a lot of fun. The theme this year was a western theme and we were all supposed to dress in western wear and such. It was fun to see everyone dressed in a way that none of us are really used to doing on a daily basis. Look at these great pics of the youth from my ward. It isn't all of them, but aren't they all so dang cute!!! I just love em all.

2009-10-14T18:23:00.000-05:00

2009-10-14T18:20:00.000-05:00

Benjamen's Baptism

2009-10-14T18:12:00.002-05:00

I am finally posting some pics from Benjamen's baptism. I am so far behind on keeping this blog up to date. His baptism was such an exciting thing for our family. His Aunt Heidi flew down here from Utah to attend, and that really meant a lot to all of us. I am sorry I don't know how to change my pics around so they are all standing up, so please forgive that, and if you know how, let me know.

Silly Missionary!

2009-10-14T18:09:00.002-05:00

The missionaries from our church are known for their clean cut, clean shaven looks, as well as white shirts and ties riding on bikes. With that said, my brother took the missionaries out to lunch one day and there was a little "vending machine" with fake mustaches in there, so Elder Wilms put his quarter in and happened to get a mustache that matched his hair perfectly!!! I had to get a pic becuase it was too hilarious. And in person, this looked sooooooooooo dang real!!!

Catherine's baby shower

2009-10-14T18:03:00.002-05:00

I hosted a baby shower for my sister-in-law a few weeks ago. I have to tell you, I have never been in a room more full of talented people! Most of the gifts she got were home made, but looked even better than professional. Here are a few pics from the night.

I am a Mexican.....

2009-09-07T21:10:00.002-05:00

My family loves mexican food. I am so glad we live back in Texas becuase we sure missed good mexican food while we lived up in Utah. I have lots of friends who are pretty much expert mexican food fixers, and they have taught me a thing or two. Tonight's meal consisted of mostly home made things prepared by me. I ended up using a packaged mexican rice instead of making it, but maybe next time....

Tortilla Making

2009-09-07T15:25:00.003-05:00

I made tortillas today. It wasn't the first time I have made them, but it is the first time I made them and they actually looked and tasted like tortillas:) I took a few pics...

Happy Birthday Benjamen

2009-09-07T15:05:00.006-05:00

Today Benjamen turned 8. Sean took the boys out golfing this morning for Benjemen's birthday. Matthew was swinging the club, and accidentally hit benjamen in the head. Sean said he heard a crack/thud sound and "Benjamen's head was bleeding like a water fountain." We took him into the emergency room and they had to put two staples in his head. I don't do well with this sort of thing, so in one of the pics, you see me hunched over trying not to pass out. Funny thing is, I still haven't looked at the back of his head to see his staples. One of the other pics is a before and after of his head, not sure if you are able to tell which is which. And another is of Sean playing the part of the evil doctor :)

New hair cut

2009-08-29T21:02:00.003-05:00

I have almost always had cute, stylish hair cuts my whole married life. For the last 2 years, I have been growing out my hair because I have wanted the whole Carrie Underwood look with the long big curls. Well I got impatient and decided to cut my hair. Here are my before and after pics. I am excited to play around with it and do a few different looks with it.

1st Day of School

2009-08-24T22:27:00.002-05:00

Well today was the day. Benjamen entered 2nd grade, and Matthew started Kindergarten. I was fine with Benjamen, and knew he would do fine, but I was a little worried about Matthew. When I dropped him off, he stood around not knowing where to go or what to do. The kids got to pick wherever they wanted to sit, but he didn't know anyone. He wasn't sure where to go. My heart ached for him cause he was feeling uncomfortable and was out of his element. But he came home telling me all about his day and how many friends he made. Both boys really seemed to enjoy their first day of school and all that happened there.

My Girls

2009-08-10T23:18:00.001-05:00

I wanted to get some pics of the girls I work with at church. Here are just a few of them. Hopefully I will get the others up soon.

Waiting for the Doc

2009-08-10T23:14:00.002-05:00

These were taken just a few days ago while we were waiting for Matthew's 5 year old check up. We don't have a pediatrician, it is just a family doctor. They really don't do a good job AT ALL with making it kid friendly. The "kid section" is litterally just a little cubby with high walls and no toys. So my kids had to make their own fun.

more camp.....

2009-08-10T23:10:00.000-05:00

Girl's Camp

2009-08-10T23:03:00.002-05:00

Here are a few pics from Girl's Camp this summer. It was soooooo much fun! I will forever say how much I love these girls. I am so glad that I get to spend so much time, and fun time at that, with them all. It really was a blast

Six Flags

2009-08-10T22:58:00.001-05:00

We got to have a fun day at Six Flags Fiesta Texas back at the end of May. Sean's company was having a work party there, and so we went and spent the day. I was really suprised at how much they had to do for my little kids. It was the funnest day we have had in a LONG time. There were lots of rides and activities geared strictly for my little ones, which was so wonderful. I definately think we will be going back many times!

Benjamen's last day of school

2009-08-10T22:50:00.001-05:00

I am finally posting about Benjamen's last day of 1st grade. He had a great teacher that tried to instill respect and kindness in her classroom. On the last day of class, she wanted to hand out awards to each one of her students, so not to leave anyone out. She gave Benjamen the "All Around Best Boy" award. What an honor! I am so proud of Benjamen. he is such a good boy, and I love him a lot.

More Prom

2009-08-10T22:41:00.002-05:00

Prom

2009-08-10T22:29:00.004-05:00

A few months ago we had a fun night at Prom. It was soooo much fun. I just love the youth of today! They are the coolest people I know. They know how to have a great time, while being fun, safe and responsible. Here are just a few pics from this amazing night.

Sleepover!!!!!!

2009-08-10T22:24:00.002-05:00

This past weekend I had a sleepover with some of the girls I work with at church. They truly are some of my best friends. I just love them all sooooooo much! We always have the best of times together. This past weekend we went to the outlet malls and bought some school clothes and just had fun. We ended up staying up just about the whole night both nights we were together. We just talked and laughed. I love them so much!

2009-07-21T21:20:00.002-05:00

The following pics are of my home in Provo, UT. We have it on the market for sale or rent. We have directed people to our blog to check out the pics. Call if seriously interested. 801-885-0405

more pics

2009-07-21T21:19:00.000-05:00

more pics

2009-07-21T21:18:00.002-05:00

more pics

2009-07-21T21:16:00.001-05:00

more pics

2009-07-21T21:14:00.002-05:00

our home for rent

2009-07-21T21:06:00.002-05:00

This is a lovely home. We moved out of state and left the home to a management company who have let it run into the ground. We will take $200 off the first month's rent if you can get the lawn nice again. The home has to be rented(upstairs and downstairs) by separate tenants/families that are related(siblings, cousins, etc) for it to be legal. It is a wonderful neighborhood and ward. It is just around the corner from the football stadium and the Temple. Since we are living out of state, please call only if serious and we will set up an appointment for you to see the home. I have lots of great pics, so please email me to see them

2009-07-20T21:42:00.005-05:00

2009-07-20T21:42:00.004-05:00

Okay, it has been toooooooooo long! I guess my life has been a little busy, but I don't see it getting any less busy any time soon, so I might as well make myself write. I have been saving up my pics to share, but just haven't made myself sit down to put them on my blog. So hopefully soon(cause I am not doing it tonight), I will have some updated pics of my cute little fam.
But let me fill you in on the past few months. . .
In May I was able to go to Prom. I guess I am a lucky girl, cause I got to go to three proms while I was in high school, and now as an adult, I got to get all dressed up and pretty and go again. It was a Prom for the 16-18 year olds from church. It was sooooo much fun, and I just love getting to be with these kids. They bring such a great smile to my face, and then to see them all beautiful and handsome, was so great.
June held a few busy weeks for me. I went to Girl's camp. It was a week without tv, computer, kids, hubby, and air conditioning. It was sooo much fun. It was a great combo of fun and spirituality for our teenage girls in my church. They are such great, sweet teenagers!
The following week in June I went to a youth conference for ages 14-18. Again, I cannot say too much how impressed I am with the youth of today. If only people would give them a chance and try to get to know them, they would be so impressed with what good people they are. I am so blessed and lucky to call them my friends. I love them all sooooo much!
So we are now in July. Tomorrow is my 9 year anniversary. I am not sure what we will do, if anything. We are finally getting our own place!!!!(yay) We have been at my parent's place for a little over a year now, and our home in Utah has not sold. We finally just said we needed to move out before the school year started, or we could end up here for another year. Then a week ago we got a phone call about this place we could rent for way cheap. It is an older couple who have left the home vacant for 2 years and are willing to rent it to us really cheap in exchange for us doing handy work around the home. This is a great opportunity for us since we need a place, and a cheap one, plus we love doing handy work and have some experience, but are looking forward to gaining some new experience. So I imagine for my anniversary tomorrow, we will be painting. But we are all good with that cause that means we are that much closer to being in our own place again!

Matthew's Funny Moments

2009-04-03T12:06:00.003-05:00

This past week Matthew has said a few things that have made me laugh and I thought I would share them becuase I figure they will bring a smile to your face as well:)
On Monday we were talking about the Temples our church has. We discussed why they are so special to us, what you have to do in order to go inside and some other things. We mostly spoke about how they will get to go in once they get ready to go on their missions, but they know they will also get married in one someday. When we were finished with our discussion, the boys ran off to go and play. Right before Matthew went, he said to Sean and I that he couldn't wait to get married. He has said that before and I always love hearing that. As he ran off to play, Sean asked him who he was going to marry and he said, without hesitation, 'Mommy'. --so here is the time you say awwww, how cute:) But then, like 20 seconds later, he stopped riding his scooter and said, "nope, actually I change my mind, I am going to marry Anistan"(sp?). Sean and I just burst out laughing, it was quite funny:) (Anistan is a little girl that we go to church with)
The other funny thing happened yesterday. I was reading a story to Matthew out of a little church magazine for kids. It was about how Christ died for us all so that we could live with Him and our families again. So I started explaining how we will get to see Sean's brother who passed away before Matthew was even born. Matthew started asking all sorts of questions about death and beign buried, and I realized he has never been to a funeral and we haven't talked a whole lot about them. So he asked where Ira(Sean's brother) was right now. I told him his body was buried in Salt Lake City at the cemetary. He then asked, "well where is his head?" I was baffled by his odd question and said again, his body is buried in Salt Lake. Then I realized...I told him his 'body', but I didn't say anything about his head:) It still cracks me up thinking about that question:)

A good storm

2009-03-26T19:41:00.004-05:00

We moved back here almost a year ago, and I have been awaiting some severe weather. Texas can have some pretty crazy weather, and I have missed that the last 8 years I have lived away from here. But since we have lived here, we have been in a drought and had basically no rain. Today we had a good thunderstorm. With it comes lightening, thunder and rain. We also had some hail. In our town, we were issued an emergency warning to expect wind up to 100 miles and hour with hail baseball size. Thank goodness that just missed us, although that would have made for a fun afternoon:) I have attached some photos, not from me, but from right around here.

2009-03-21T23:33:00.002-05:00

Twilight came out on dvd today so Sean and I watched it tonight. He really liked it. He even said that he just might have to read the books:) Ohhhhhh, I just love this series sooooo much!

Good Times

2009-03-19T12:21:00.003-05:00

Sorry I haven't written in ages. We have been fairly busy, and I just haven't taken the time to post. I have some pics back from Valentine's and from our visit to the RainForest Cafe, so hopefully those will come soon.
2 weeks ago for Family Home Evening we went on a drive and decided to talk about nature. Benjamen loves nature and is always trying to preserve it and such, so it is a great topic in our family. We decided to sing the song "Whenever I Hear The Song of a Bird..." whatever the actual title is, I don't know. Anyway, when we were finished with our discussion, for fun we decided to put in our own words to that song. We tried to cater it to our lifestyle and climate here in TX. It was sooooo funny. We each took turns coming up with phrases in the song. We talked about the cactus and sticker burs, the scorching sun and rattling snakes. We went on and on. I really should have written it down. I think if we are ever in a talent show we will do this for our family act:)

Sizzlin'

2009-02-27T21:25:00.002-06:00

It got to 91 today. I can't believe we are still in Feb and getting such high temps. I sure hope it isn't a sign of what is to come!!!

Spotlight

2009-02-27T12:26:00.001-06:00

Supporting Fisher House™ and Hero Miles
Following their volunteer efforts, San Antonio-based staff stand with a house guest in front of the Lackland Fisher House
When wounded servicemen and -women return home for treatment, they often face weeks and months of rehabilitation at a veterans or military hospital. During this time, having family members close by is essential to their recovery. Fisher House™, one of the firm’s long-standing nonprofit partners, provides military families a place to stay, free of charge, via ‘comfort houses’ located at most major military and veterans hospital campuses.
Booz Allen’s partnership with Fisher House™ offers staff a variety of ways to help. Last fall, Booz Allen volunteers in the San Antonio office cooked dinner for residents, packed boxes in preparation for an upcoming renovation of its facilities, supported the organization’s major fundraising event, and helped with holiday decorations.
“One soldier told me that he knew of Booz Allen’s work as a government consulting firm,” says San Antonio-based Associate Bethany O’Day, “but he was unaware of our commitment to relationship-building within the community. It was great to demonstrate another side of the firm to him.”
In addition to onsite volunteering, staff also can participate in the Hero Miles program. Administered by Fisher House™ for the Department of Defense, Hero Miles allows individuals to donate frequent flier miles with participating airlines—enabling families to visit their wounded heroes. Starting March 2, staff can choose to support Hero Miles by voluntarily donating their unused airline miles.
“I’m sure many staff members are like me and have unused miles that are set to expire or a small number of miles with a little-used carrier that may go unused,” says McLean-based Principal Joe Suarez, community relations director. “What better way to use those accumulated miles than to donate them to help someone in need?”
Participation in Hero Miles—a joint initiative of Community Relations, the Armed Forces Forum, and the Travel team—is easy. Visit the Community Relations iShare site for frequently asked questions and instructions for donating unused miles.
Annually, the Fisher House™ program serves more than 10,000 families, and has made available nearly 2.5 million days of lodging to family members since the program originated in 1990. Read more about the San Antonio office’s volunteer efforts with Fisher House on the Community Relations iShare site.

2009-02-26T13:49:00.002-06:00

Sorry, here are some more pics I wanted to show from our dinner with my parents.

Only in Texas

2009-02-26T13:43:00.002-06:00

I just want to preface this entry with this: it seems like in Texas we have every rodent and bug and just plain yucky and harmful thing. Seriously, we have well over 100 different types of snakes, with like 1oo of them being poisonous. We have scorpions and spiders and tics and lizards and bats and roaches and and and...... you get the point.
Okay, so I think this is hilarious, mind you gross and disturbing, but hilarious. So the other day I put something in the microwave to heat up. When it dinged, I opened up the door to get my food and out crawls a roach!!!!!!! I KNOW!!! I guess it is true what they say about roaches being indestructable.

Happy Anniversary!!!

2009-02-26T13:25:00.003-06:00

My parent's anniversary was Feb 18th. It was their 35th anniversary, and they wanted to have a nice dinner with their family. We all went to a restaurant in San Antonio called the Rainforest Cafe. I have heard a lot about it, but it was sooooo much fun! It is themed after its name. They have done such a good job with the atmosphere of the place. They have a thunderstorm every 30 minutes and every 10 minures all the animals come to life. It is such a kid-friendly place to eat and have fun. While we were waiting for our food we walked around and took a million pictures. Our kids loved it. Anytime any one of you comes for a visit, we will definately have to take you there. The prices are a little high, but the food was good and the fun time with our family was definately worth it!!

Flowers, and Flowers, and More Flowers...

2009-02-12T13:20:00.002-06:00

My mom owns a flower shop here in our small town. She stays fairly busy throughout the year, but there are definate "peak" seasons, one being Valentine's Day. She ordered her flowers quite a while ago, and just picked them up this past weekend. I think my dad said something like 70 dozen roses, and like 40 dozen carnations, then all the baby's breath(white small flowers) and the greenery to go on top of that. My mom commented and said that is actually quite a small order for a flower shop, but she is a very small shop and not a huge chain like a lot of companies. Anyway, the first two pics are of the flowers crammed into one of her coolers, just the way she picked them up. Then the next two are what she creates with them. She is actually quite talented, and I am a bit sad that I did not obtain any of her creative genes when I was born.

***Disclaimer***Sean wanted me to show all these pics and tell you all that this is what he did for me for Valentine's Day:) He is such a joker.

New Beginnings

2009-02-04T22:17:00.002-06:00

Tonight our Young Women had their New Beginnings. I was so proud of them! They did everything themselves, start to finish. They came up with all the ideas, practiced, and the end result was fabulous!

I love so much being back in with the youth of the church! They amaze me every time I am in their presence. It really gives me comfort as a parent of future youth to know that they will have a network of friends that will be unmatched by any other.

A Few Months Ago...

2009-01-27T22:26:00.002-06:00

The other day Sean and I were talking about our friends back in Utah. Before we moved down here to Texas, our friends put together a little going-away party. It was sooooo nice! Our neighborhood consisted of 3 blocks of homes and then another side street. I would have to say that we had anywhere between half of our neighbors to 3/4 of our neighbors there. It makes me feel so good knowing that we were/are loved so much. Friends are so important in everyone's life, and we just hope that we are the kind of friend to others, that others are to us.

Dress Size

2009-01-27T22:23:00.002-06:00

I know I just submitted a post about how much weight I have lost over the past few months, but I have had a lot of people ask me how many sizes I have gone down. I haven't been really paying much attention to it, so I thought I would go and check. In pants, I have gone down 3 sizes, and in my skirts it has been 4. I feel so good and am so happy with my results. It is also such a great example to my kids to be active and they love exercising as well.

Sean's job

2009-01-27T22:20:00.002-06:00

Everyone always asks what Sean does for work. Here is a little snippet that was in a paper explaining what his company is.

Booz Allen Hamilton has been at the forefront of strategy and technology consulting for more than 90 years. Every day, government agencies, institutions, corporations, and infrastructure organizations rely on the firm’s expertise and objectivity, and on the combined capabilities and dedication of its exceptional people to find solutions and seize opportunities. Booz Allen combines a consultant’s unique problem-solving orientation with deep technical knowledge and strong execution to help clients achieve success in their most critical missions. Providing a broad range of services in strategy, operations, organization and change, information technology, systems engineering, and program management, Booz Allen is committed to delivering results that endure. With more than 20,000 people and $4 billion in annual revenue, Booz Allen is continually recognized for its quality work and corporate culture. In 2009, for the fifth consecutive year, Fortune magazine named Booz Allen one of “The 100 Best Companies to Work For,” and Working Mother magazine has ranked the firm among its “100 Best Companies for Working Mothers” annually since 1999. To learn more about the firm, visit www.boozallen.com.

A Dream Has Come True

2009-01-20T20:20:00.003-06:00

What an amazing day! How far this country has come! I don't care what your political views are, today was a day for all of us to remember and to be proud of. I like to judge whether the things I am doing or not are good by the things my children say or do. Tonight Benjamen prayed for our new President and his family. He also thanked Heavenly Father for the first brown man to be president. You cannot get more honest and true than a child. Benjamen does not care where a person is from. He does not care what color skin they may have. He doesn't even care what religious affiliation, if any, one may have. All he cares about is what he is hearing is good and nice. We hear a lot of ideals. We all have them, but I think when they are spoken of on a large scale, most of us tend to be cynical and shoot them down. I love how children rejoice in goodness and have hope for a brighter tomorrow. I wish we could all embrace that as easily as our kids do.

I also wanted to make mention of how gracious the Bush family seems to be. This is a great photo of how sincere I believe it to be. Just look at the girl's faces as the former President is speaking to them.

Home For Sale

2009-01-16T19:36:00.003-06:00

Well we finally put our home on the market. It sure is rotten timing, but we are hopeful, and VERY prayerful. This is the ad I ran. If you know of anyone who might be interested, please give them my info!

Beautifully updated 1957 Rambler on a .21 acre lot in a family friendly neighborhood close to BYU. 2700 sq.ft. with 6 bedrooms, with one having built in desk and built in shelves. 1 1/2 baths up and 3/4 bath down. Two car garage with extra built-in storage. Bright and open interior with full-size windows throughout, including basement. Spacious kitchen with tile, granite and updated appliances. Basement is 100% finished with R1.6-A zoned mother-in-law apartment. Large covered deck with fully-enclosed backyard. Fully-landscaped with automatic sprinklers. A Must See! This is great for a professor, parents looking for a place for their kids, and for a new homeowner needing the extra income from the basement to help pay the mortgage. By appointment only--(801)-885-0405. No agents please.

Matthew--fast asleep

2009-01-16T19:30:00.003-06:00

Every day after lunch, I put Grace to bed for a nap and Matthew and I come into my room. This is the time I usually check emails and do blogging. I read my scriptures and do calling things as well. Usually Matthew will play or read for a while and then he will fall asleep. Today I couldn't get him to go to sleep though. Finally, after about 2 hours, he quieted down and fell asleep. He had slept in our room the night before becuase he wasn't feeling well, so I just assumed that he was sleeping on the floor again. When I got up to go out of the room, this is what I found...

Can you tell what this is? He is in our laundry basket!!! Hilarious

3 more pounds

2009-01-16T13:01:00.002-06:00

I am so excited. I weighed myself the other day at the gym, and I am 3lbs shy of losing 20 pounds since I started going to the gym. I can't believe that! That is a lot. I actually would think that I would look quite stick-like with a number that big(pounds lost), but I guess I had quite a few pounds to shed when we moved here. But I will say that I look pretty good. My body is very in shape and very firm. Sean is actually quite impressed with my bicep size:) I feel great too. This really is quite exciting. And I know I have more to lose, so I will let you know when I get to the "ideal".

Grace is a Girl

2009-01-15T19:02:00.002-06:00

OK. So Grace is going through a stage of burping. She has learned this wonderful habit from her brothers I have tried and tried to break them of this habit, but nothing seems to have worked. That is until tonight maybe...
Grace let out his really loud belch(I wasn't aware such sounds could come out of such little ones). The boys of course were laughing so hard and Sean and I were trying to keep our smiles in check. Well Sean gave Grace this stern look and said "Grace we don't do that." Upon which she immediately stuck out her lower lip and started crying these huge crocodile tears. Sean felt soooo bad, andI just had to turn my head and laugh. So I guess this is what our friends have warned us about when it comes to girls:)

Are You Prepared?

2009-01-09T13:27:00.001-06:00

Most of you know that I am big into preparedness. I found this link on my facebook page and wanted to post it on my blog. It looks like you can do simple things each month to have your name placed in a drawing to win preparedness things from this company. I checked out their website and am impressed, so please feel free to do the same. It is blog.TotallyReady.com

Sean's Company is Doing Well

2009-01-05T20:07:00.003-06:00

We got this note from Sean's CEO at work. We felt very blessed when we got this job, and after reading this, we feel even more blessed. We always have known and know that Heavenly Father will take care of us, but I just find it such a miracle to have gotten this job when we did and to be working for such a great company, especially in these trying times. It is a long note, but worth reading. If any of you have questions about the company, please let us know and we can pass on some info.

Dear Colleagues,
Last year at this time, with the impending separation of Booz Allen’s core businesses and the change ahead of us, we naturally wondered how things would turn out.
Our tremendous success this past year — evidenced by 18% revenue growth, strong brand recognition, and industry-leading benefits programs —attests that Booz Allen Hamilton today is stronger than ever. In 2009, as we enter our 95th year in business, Booz Allen’s place in the world is significant and secure, and our institution exemplifies the spirit of service.
Significant — Booz Allen is front-and-center helping clients solve the most pressing issues of the 21st century — securing our homeland, combating global terrorism, providing vital citizen services, and protecting the environment. Our ideas on topics such as cloud computing, cyber security, and health reform are having broad reach in the press and at major conferences, and recent books by Booz Allen authors on Megacommunities and Wargaming for Leaders have received critical acclaim. In recognition of our impact and stature, Booz Allen was named Contractor of the Year in the government services sector. Again in 2008, we were named a Best Company to Work For by FORTUNE, Working Mother, Business Week, and many others.
We take pride in this external recognition, but what you tell us matters most. To me, this quote from a staff member captures why we have such impact year after year, “No matter what level, you never stop improving at Booz Allen. The talent is amazing to start with, yet people are always trying to get even better.”
Secure — Reading the headlines and stock tables, it’s hard not to worry about the economy, but I want to assure you that Booz Allen Hamilton is strong and secure. Our performance this year, in both revenue and profitability, would be exceptional at any time – but in these days, it is nothing short of astounding.
You’ve made this success possible by selling and delivering important, high-value work, and by ensuring that we manage utilization and expenses. As a result, Booz Allen has a backlog of sold work in excess of $2 billion and a cash position that enables us to easily fund all of our business costs as well as ECAP and investment programs. The Washington Post, not known for flattery, called us “a jewel of a company with proven management, steady cash flow, and a valuable brand name. “ Over the past two decades, Booz Allen has done even better in years following a change in Presidential administrations. This isn’t surprising because we’re in the business of change. As a result of our growth and success, Booz Allen is hiring in many areas and I hope you’ll refer others who are looking for a rewarding career with a company as secure as ours (see https://erp.bah.com/hotjobs.htm) .
Spirit of Service – This isn’t a marketing slogan at Booz Allen — the words come from our founding partner James Allen, and it’s how we conduct our business and serve our communities. During the past year, Booz Allen’s service and impact have reached a new level, even by our high standards. We were honored by the Points of Light Institute with its coveted Excellence in Workplace Volunteer Programs award, just one of the dozens of recognitions we received in 2008. We established a major partnership with USO and launched a program in 12 cities called “FIRST Robotics” to support science and technology education. In 27 locations across the country, we fixed homes for the poor and elderly through Rebuilding Together, and we sponsored 48 Relay for Life teams, raising over $100,000 for the American Cancer Society.
Those of you who live in the Washington area may have read the recent news story which said, “Among the hundreds of submissions received from non-profits for this annual column on corporate philanthropy, one name came up time and again: Booz Allen Hamilton.” Well beyond the Beltway, Booz Allen is making a difference in Colorado Springs, where we won the Outstanding Corporate Philanthropic Program award, in San Diego, Atlanta, Dayton, Southern Maryland, Rome, NY, Charleston, SC and so many other places.
How will we ensure that Booz Allen remains significant and secure, and committed to the spirit of service in the future?
Every day, each of us needs to do excellent work and perform it with integrity. We’ve seen too many people in the news who have not done so. Our profession is vitally dependent on excellence, ethics, and compliance by every individual. At the institutional level, we will continue to invest leadership attention and funds in our people programs, market development, and thought leadership. We’re responding boldly to the needs and opportunities ahead – in financial reform, health reform, cyber security, and infrastructure programs, to name just a few. In this, our 95th year, Booz Allen brings clients the wisdom and experience of age combined with the creativity and energy of youth – ensuring that we, and those we serve, will always be ready for what’s next.
Today, when so many people are facing hardship, Booz Allen’s success brings both reassurance and responsibility. Thank you for your extraordinary dedication to our clients and the firm, and thank you for your generosity to others. I wish you and your loved ones health, happiness, and success in 2009.
-- Ralph

Christmas Clothes

2008-12-28T20:29:00.001-06:00

Here are some clothes Grandma and Grandpa Eldredge sent the kids. Oh, and they sent a really cool hat for Sean too.

Clarification

2008-12-26T17:46:00.002-06:00

I feel the need to clarify something. A few posts ago I spoke about some things going on in my parent's home. Like I have said before, this is my form of a journal, which isn't always meant for the world to see. I do not feel I said anything terribly wrong or bad, and if anything, it really made me look bad. The point of it was to poke fun at our situation right now and my reaction(s) to it. Apparently my mom took offense to it, and by that, some other family members as well. I want to make clear, without a doubt, that Sean and I are extemely grateful for my parents letting us stay with them. I know it isn't easy for either of us, but I think moreso for them. We have expressed this many times, but I think becuase we are all still in the middle of it, it gets forgotten. I want all who read this to know that we are grateful for them, love them, and will hopefully do this for anyone in our family or friends who would need such a huge favor done.

Santa's Presents

2008-12-25T20:57:00.001-06:00

Here are my kids with their Santa gifts. They sure loved them. This is the first year that they absoluely loved it all. It made me so happy to see them so happy:)

Twas The Night Before Christmas

2008-12-25T20:48:00.003-06:00

Here are the pics after Santa came to our house last night, but before the kids got up this morning. Grace got a HUGE stuffed doggie that she absolutely adores. Matthew got a Thomas Train Set that he has not stopped playing with yet. And Benjamen got a spy set with his own binoculars, walkie-talkies, rope, multi-tool set, compass, gloves and camo outfit, and the coolest thing, night vision goggles.

A Continuation

2008-12-24T22:28:00.002-06:00

Just adding to my last post...My dad just told Sean that we need to spank our kids.
Enough Said.

Funny Story Involving Our Families' Issues:)

2008-12-23T07:08:00.006-06:00

So I know that most people have "issues" within their family, whether blood or extended, but over the last 20 years or so I have come to determine most families don't have to deal with the issues of my family. When you think of the word 'mother', you think nurturing and loving and do whatever for you kind of thing. So over the last 30 years or so my mother and her mother(my g-mother) have formed that sort of relationship. They are to the point that they go to each other for everything and talk all the time and depend on each other to lift each other up when they are angry or down. You think, well that is great, good for them. The only problem is, they do this at the expense of everyone else in their family, namely my mother's children. You see, my mother and g-mother like to gossip, and not just about the town's folk, but about their own flesh and blood. Since living with my mother, I have spoken to her a couple of times about this and told her it really isn't the best thing to do. I have even gone so far as to say maybe that is why none of your kids want to come and visit you or offer to pay for a cruise for you or whatever else. My hope in talking with her is that she would discover she is doing no one any favors by being mean, and just hurting herself and relationships.
OK, so that last paragraph was an intro to why I am REALLY blogging tonight:) So we have family in town, which is always good to see. Well last night my family(hubby and kids) went to a Christmas Party we were invited to, and when we came home, the rest of my family(parents, 2 brothers and their families) were just getting home themselves. Well I find out that they had just gone to visit my g-ma, and while there, just out of the blue, my mom starts raggin on me, IN FRONT OF EVERYONE. She starts saying this lie about how I called her all nasty saying I was going to clean up some food she left on the counters. (side note)--My mom tends to bend the truth, even so much as to make it a complete lie.--Well it wasn't true what she was saying, but yes, I did put the food away to make room to fix dinner. Anyway, now this is the good part, when I heard about this, I started taking all her food out of the cupboards and off the shelves to put it back on the counter so she could put it away herself(I know lame, but whatever). There was a pile of oranges she had laying around, so I had put them in a bowl earlier, so I just started dumping them out. CLASSIC, I know:) but I didn't say I was being mature about it.
Anyway, that is the end of my story, but I thought it was a pretty funny one and I wanted to make you all laugh. So if you too have a classic story to tell about the issues in your family, please share them so we can all laugh and know all families have "issues"

My Journal Entry

2008-12-15T06:57:00.002-06:00

I must admit, that once I started bloggin, I put my journal away, and apparently for good. I wanted to pull it out the other day to write in it, but I cannot seem to find it anywhere. You see, there are some things thta I think should still be put in a journal, just so the whole world doesn't read it. Anyway, so I am going to post something that I would rather put in my journal simply for my posterity's sake, and not for the world's knowledge, but since I can't find my journal, and since I very strongly need to write this down before it goes out of my head, I will share it here.
This past week I received a new calling in church. Now for those of you reading this that aren't members of my church, please feel free to ask me about anything you read here and don't quite get. I will be using terms that probably won't make a lot of sense, and I would love to explain them to you in more detail. So back to this calling... I got a call Wed night to meet with the Bishop later that night. I knew what it entailed becuase I didn't think I had done anything wrong:) But I also kinda wished he would have just called me. You see here, members have to be pretty dard committed to the church. I live 45 minutes away from our church building, so to be making extra trips each week is a little burdonsome and time consuming. But back to my story... So I went up there and saw another lady saying that I was probably going to be moving up with my Nursery kids to be teaching Sunbeams next year, becuase she, the current Sunbeam teacher, would be moving up with her kids to teach them next year. So i thought I knew what I would be doing.
Well we get in there and he says that they are reorganizing the YW, so I got excited! I have worked with the YW before, and I love it. But he continues on to call me to be the YW President. My mouth dropped open, my eyes got all bug-eyed and my heart sank to my stomache. Oh, and I started crying. Then I felt a little silly cause I thought I must have looked a littlelike Miss America when she wins, but I couldn't help it.
I am always willing to serve. I find great joy in serving, and I have always desired to serve as a President of an organization, I even thought it would be cool. But over the past few days I have grown leaps and bounds in my testimony. It has nothing to do with me. I am actually nobody, I am just a body to fill in so Heavenly Father can continue on with whatever he needs for these girls at this time. At first I was so scared about how it all worked with picking counselors and all. I felt, and still do a little, quite a bit inadequate. It is an overwhelming feeling, but also surreal. I am still trying to take it all in. I have never been the President of an organization, and haven't even been in a Presidency before(well I was in college, but I had someone to hold my hand the whole time then). It really has been quite a bit for me to digest and get through, but I have to tell you, Heavenly Father is real! I have felt His power in my life and my testimony in Him and how His church runs has strengthened to a level I have been striving for for a long time. I am so grateful for this opportunity I have to serve His beautiful daughters, His strong and faithful daughters. I am grateful that I have been forced to rely on my Father in Heaven in a way I never have before in my life. I know this will help me for the rest of my life.
Now I want to remind you all reading that this was simply for the sake of my kids. So they can read this later in life and see what it was like when mommy got this calling and all the things she felt and went through, and maybe it will help them in some way with their callings. Thanks for allowing me to share this with the rest of you.

OK, a little obsessed:)

2008-12-12T19:20:00.002-06:00

OK, so my parent's washing machine kinda broke last week, so we decided we would go out and buy a washer and dryer. I have been wanting one of these front-loading machines since they came out, but they are quite pricey. We found this set on sale for a great deal through HOme Depot, so we decided to go ahead and get them. Now I posted earlier this week about how I like quality things and am willing to spend the money for good things. This was definately the case! We could have purchased a different brand and type of washer/dryer for a fraction of what these cost, but we know these will last us and are good quality and energy efficient, another plus. So we had them delivered today and I started my first load in them. I litterally knelt next to the washing machine forlike 10 minutes or something just watching it work:) I am a little crazy, I know.

A Cute Pic

2008-12-10T18:00:00.002-06:00

Here is another picture from our Ward Christmas Party. I think it is a cute one of Sean, Grace and I.

Texas Weather

2008-12-10T12:42:00.002-06:00

You have got to love the weather down here! Yesterday we were 85 degrees. I kid you not. It felt like it was the middle of the summer with the sun blazing down on us and the clear hot sky. BUT THEN...
We went inside for a nap, woke up maybe 2 hours later, went outside to a very windy, dark clouded sky and chilly temps!! By last night we had a cold front move in and it was supposed to get down to 31degrees. And get this, just 40 miles from here, IT SNOWED. Now not like snow up north or anything, I don't it actually stuck. But for there to be snow down here is amazing.
I just can't get over the fact that we had a 50+ degree change in the course of 1 day. Crazy weather we have here:)

Not Worth the Money

2008-12-08T13:35:00.003-06:00

Okay. I love purchasing quality items. I have found over the years, there usually is something to spending a little more to get name brand items, especially in certain places and with certain things. Anyway, over the last couple of months I have been not enjoying using saran wrap becuase it doesn't seem to work on half the items I need it on. I have seen commercials on this Glad Press'n Seal product, and I think I even have a friend who loves it. So I thought I would try it out. So of course the first place I buy it is at SAMS, where you get everything in bulk. I thought to myself it will be worth it cause it is only a few more dollars here than I would spend at the grocery store, and I am getting way more. Plus, it is name brand and it will work. I was wrong! This stuff works even less than saran wrap. I am totally not happy with it and will not be buying it again(although I do seem to have enough to last me another couple of months:)

But there is something out there that I will put a plug in for. It is aluminum foil sheets. They come in a few different sizes, but I like the size that is 12X10. It is big enough to cover most dishes. I use two sheets to cover a 9X13 pan. Anyway, it is so handy. It comes already cut up for you and you just pull one out at a time, kind of like a kleenex box. Hope this helps some of you out there!

Funny Poses

2008-12-07T19:28:00.002-06:00

Grace LOVES posing for the camera. She says 'cheese' and everything:). These are a few pics from last night. Then there is one from Matthew. He fell asleep listening to his radio in his room:).

Our Church Christmas Party

2008-12-07T19:23:00.003-06:00

We had our Church Christmas Party last night. It was a fun party. Benjamen went to sit on Santa's lap, but Matthew and Grace werent' so sure about it. It was nice. I love Christmas time and all the good things that come along with it. I am grateful for what our Lord and Savior did for each one of us. May we all try to be more Christ-like and loving to all we see.

Santa Came To Town

2008-12-07T19:17:00.002-06:00

Santa came yesterday to my mom's baby store. We made sure to take the kids over and have them sit on his lap. It was a fun experience. Grace wasn't quite sure what to think, but she did good. I think she might have been a little confused hearing Grandpa's voice in a dressed suit:)

Making Some Progress

2008-12-04T20:45:00.002-06:00

I have a friend who is a personal trainer, and she put together a little program for me to do at the gym. Twice a week I run for an hour on the elliptical, and then 3 days I run for half an hour and do a grouping of weights for 3 sets. Anyway, it is exciting to see how many calories I am burning. Today I burned 683 calories and ran exactly 5 miles. Now I have run more miles in the past, and I am sure there are a lot of you out there who burn more calories than that, but it is exciting to me to see the numbers:)

My Best Friends!!

2008-12-02T19:48:00.002-06:00

I have 2 of the best friends in the whole wide world!! I miss them and all my other friends soooooo much. Sometimes I wonder what my problem is. I have friends here, but it takes me a while I guess to make really good friends. Maybe it takes me a while to feel a strong bond, I don't know. But anyway, my friends Liz and Sarah(sisters by the way) sent me a little birthday package. Sarah made me the soundtrack to the movie Twilight. And I love it. Liz made me these cute shoes. Yes, she MADE them. They are way cute. Thanks you guys!!!

Texas Wildlife

2008-12-02T19:44:00.002-06:00

I have forgotten how much wildlife there is in Texas, and how it all comes out at night. There is TONS of roadkill all over the highways and roadways. I have seen lots of neat things, but within the last week I saw an armadillo crossing the road, and just the other night there was a possum hanging out in one of my parent's trees. Here are a few pics of it. Hope you can see it in the dark.

Attempting at Picture Taking

2008-12-02T19:35:00.002-06:00

Tonight we were trying to get a good pic of our kids to put in our Christmas Cards this year. Here are a few of the ones we will NOT be using. Needless to say, we didn't get a pose I was very happy with, but it will have to do becuase I don't think the kids could stand any more!

Recognition

2008-12-02T19:34:00.001-06:00

Just recently Sean got an award at work. It really isn't allll that big of a deal, other than the fact that it is nice getting noticed for all your hard work and efforts.

My Funny Girl

2008-11-27T16:34:00.002-06:00

I just had to post this pic. Grace loves putting on my glasses, and she looks soooooo funny:)

Twilight

2008-11-27T16:26:00.002-06:00

Friday night was the big night of FUN!!!! My friends and I went out to dinner and then stood in line for half an hour or more to watch the long awaited movie Twilight. We had a great time hanging out together. One of my friends had on an I Love Edward shirt. The rest of us were too timid to wear one, so I was glad at least one of us wore one. To be honest, I was a little disappointed in the film. It was extremely low-budget, and you could tell. The makeup job was also awful. But I loved the film just the same, just because of what it was:) I cannot wait to see it again, and to see the next one.

$1.55 a gallon

2008-11-20T16:26:00.001-06:00

Can you believe that? Sean paid that yesterday. WooHoo

Sean's Holiday Party

2008-11-19T14:19:00.002-06:00

Sean's company just had its big holiday party this past Saturday. It was a lot of fun!! Sean hurt his back earlier in the week and that prevented him from being able to walk very well, so we didn't get any dancing in on the dancefloor, but we still had lots of fun none-the-less.
We got there at 6:30 for drinks and appetizers. His company gave everyone 4 drink tickets, which were used by everyone, except us I think, to get alcaholic drinks. Thank goodness they had a few sodas, so we had something to drink:) But that alone cost the company tons of money. Then we had the nicest buffet meal!! The mashed potatos were my favorite I would have to say. They were literally silky tasting. I have no idea how they got them that way, but they were delicious. After dinner, they had a "casino night" where they gave each guest there $2000 in Booz Allen bucks to go and play with. Sean and I don't gamble, so we thought our boys would have fun playing with this "money", so we brought it home for them. Their door prizes were all great, too bad we didn't win any! They gave away gift cards to Starbucks, Olive Garden, Best Buy, $50 to the movie theater, $200 to a spa, a 37-inch TV, and a couple other things. I am hoping next year to score something:)
Anyway, it was a fancy night, so I did my best to fancy myself up. I love seeing people all dressed up and it was a lot of fun to meet Sean's co-workers!

Thank You Power

2008-11-16T18:23:00.002-06:00

We read this book last month for our book club. It is such a good book! I recommend it to anyone who wants to be uplifted. It is about being grateful for what we have and are given in this life. It was so encouraging to me. When you read this book, you are reminded that there are lots of people out there who remain positive and uplifting even when things don't always go their way. It was a great book for me to read. It made me concious of all the good things people do for me and for others on a daily basis.

OOOPPS!

2008-11-13T15:56:00.002-06:00

So I love music! I can listen to it all day long. I can appreciate just about any kind of music as well, so that helps my reputoire(sp?) be diversified. Anyway, I just turned on my blog to listen to the music while I was doing something else, and realized something I think is hilarious. I added a few new songs to my playlist the other day. They are current songs, and songs I love hearing on the radio! Much to my funny suprise, the second song on my playlist has a bad word in it at the beginning of it:) I never knew that cause they can't play that word on the radio. So please excuse the language of taht song:) If you get offended by that stuff, just skip that song.

I Feel My Kid's Pain

2008-11-13T13:38:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I had my annual exam, and while I was there I got my flu shot as well as a tetanus shot. MAN!! Now I know how my kids feel when they get theirs. I was pleasantly suprised to not even feel the needles go into my arm, but once they pumped in the vaccination, my arm hurt. It hurt all day yesterday and still hurts pretty bad today! Now I need to make sure and be careful when my kids get their shots to not touch them in the general vacinity of their shot:)