Vacations

Bryce and I have taken two fabulous vacations this year.   The first was in October.  We went to Dallas and stayed in the Gaylord Texan.  If you ever get a chance to stay in a Gaylord hotel anywhere, I highly recommend it.  My mom and I stayed in the Nashville Gaylord and loved it and Bryce and I loved the Gaylord Texan just as much.  While we were there we went to the JFK museum.  I loved it.  But of course the reason for being there was to attend a Dallas Cowboys game in the new stadium.  This was the game that Tony Romo hurt his shoulder.  They lost, again.  Bryce is beginning to think I am bad luck.  Every time he takes me to Texas, the Cowboys lose. 

While we were there we went to an autograph signing and I got to meet one of my favorite players, Tashard Choice. 

Our second vacation was equally as fabulous.  We went on a Caribbean cruise with our friend Jeff.  It was the funnest vacation we have ever been on.  A lot of times when we cruise we play really hard.  We have zip lined, parasailed, jet skied, etc.  This time we moved from one beach to the next. 

We started with two days in Florida and went to Miami Beach and Ft. Lauderdale Beach.  The third and fourth day we were on the boat and layed by the the pool.  The fifth day the boat docked in the Bahamas at Princess Cays.  We had been there before and didn't like it so we stayed on the boat and had the pool all to ourselves.  The sixth day we were in St. Marteen and went to Sunset Beach (my favorite) and also went to Orient Beach.  My mom had warned us about Orient Beach which is a nude beach at one end.  I wish we would have listened to her.  YUCK!  The following day we docked at St. Thomas and we caught the ferry to St. Johns and went to Cinnamon Bay.  The final stop was Grand Turk.  The island isn't much to write home about.  We rented a golf cart and rode it around all day and never stopped laughing.  The water at Grand Turk though was amazing.  I have seen some fabulous water but this was the most crystal clear water I have ever seen.  Loved it!  The final day we spent on the boat again. 

Jeff has most of the pictures on his camera which I will post later.

You Make Me Feel Like Dancin'

Dance season is just about coming to an end and although it is a ton of fun, I am really glad to get a break for a while.  Miss Payton loves it. I don't know if she necessarily loves the actually dance part as much as she loves the costumes and makeup.  Either way, we have a bunch of fun.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

Sixteen GLORIOUS days off work.  I love the holidays, especially once I am done with work.  This year is extra special because Bryce is able to take the week before Christmas off as well.  Don't think we're sitting around doing nothing though.  Okay, Bryce has been in the basement all day because BYU played in a bowl game and now BYU basketball is playing.  But I, however, have been busy today. 

First, I took Payton to her Christmas party at her dance studio. 

Then I came home and ran the kids to the junior high so they could go sledding:

Next, it was time to build a snowman in the front yard:

I wanted someplace cute to put all my Christmas cards.  I told Bryce that a friend of ours tapes hers to a door in her home.  He said, "Our door is metal.  Why don't you use magnets?"  Of course I couldn't just use any magnets so I went to Gracie Lou's and bought some super cute buttons and now our front door is the official showcase of all your fabulous Christmas cards.  Keep 'em coming!

We just finished making some caramel corn for some of our friends and neighbors:

and whenever I can get Bryce out of the basement we are going to Tucanos for dinner to celebrate Bryce and Jeff's birthdays.  No, you didn't miss Bryce's birthday.  He and Jeff signed up for birthdays at Tucanos in December and June so we could all go together and use the "buy one get one free" certificates.  Don't worry, I'm still honest.  Happy Holidays!

Payton's 1/2 Birthday

Today I'm thinking about how fast my little Payton is growing up.  It is her "half" birthday today.  The reason I know that is because she gets to be the V.I.P. in her class today.  She got to bring a poster, treats for her class, her favorite toy, and her favorite book.  She has been so excited.  Today as we were walking to her class I said, "Are you so excited to be the VIP today?"  She said, "Mom, I think you are way more excited about it than I am."  Seriously??? Where did she learn to talk like that?  4 1/2 years old....where in the world did that time go?

I feel really blessed that Payton is at the preschool/daycare at my high school.  It is the most fabulous program and I love it when I get to see her.  The other day I was grading some papers in my classroom at the end of the day and I heard a whole bunch of racket coming through the hallways.  Her class was playing "marching band" and they were visiting all the teacher-moms at the school.  I can run down and talk to her, hug on her or just say hi anytime I want.  It has been awesome.

Last week one of my yearbook photographers was taking pictures of the child development class and she took this picture for me.  She said, "I just couldn't help it.  Payton looked so cute!"  I agree....what a cute kid.

Here are 4 1/2  things I love about Payton:
1.  She makes me smile every single day.
2.  She is SUCH a girl.  She loves dance, gymnastics, haircuts, painting toes and fingers, etc.
3.  She is super smart and a little bit of a smart aleck which I have to admit I love.
4.  She is so sweet.  She acts like a big sister to the kids in her preschool.
1/2.  Every time Bryce and I hug or kiss each other she says, "Wouldn't it be better if I joined?"

I am so glad every single day that my Heavenly Father decided to send me this happy little surprise!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

Bryce and I decided to go on a date on Saturday.  Payton had to be at a birthday party at Chuck E Cheese's at noon.  So we took her to the party and had lunch at Zupas (I'm an addict). After lunch we decided to do some a little bit of Christmas shopping.  We were on such a roll that we had Corbin come pick Payton up and were able to FINISH (that's right folks, I said finish) our shopping.  I am thrilled.  I am so looking forward to enjoying the holidays without having to shop in the snow and cold.  Here's something else I'm really looking forward to, courtesy of my fabulous husband:

12 Years Ago Today...

Twelve years ago today my life changed forever when I became a mom.  Cameron and I have been through a lot together and I couldn't ask for a better kid.  Here are 12 interesting things you may not know about Cameron:

 1.  Even though we have lived in Utah most of his life, he still claims Idaho as home (love that!)
 2.  He LOVES friends.  He is the most social person I know.
  3.  He does really well in school and gets fabulous grades.
 4.  He is the best big brother in the world.  Payton adores him.
 5.  He plays basketball and football.
 6.  He is a Green Bay Packer fan but also likes the Cowboys.
 7.  His favorite food is Shephard's pie.
 8.  His favorite color is green.
 9.  He is super excited to be out of primary and pass the sacrament.
10. He loves swimming and spends hours at the pool each summer.
11. He  likes fabulous clothes, especially shoes and belts.
12. He is kind and soft hearted, two things I love most about him.

Happy Birthday Cameron.  We love you and are glad that you are part of our family.

Save a Life, Become a Donor

I realize that I have not updated this in a really long time but I finally have something really important to share.  Most of you are aware that my sweet little nephew Vince was born with kidney damage.  You can see a lot of his story at "Our Priceless Moments."  His mom was going to give him one of her kidneys and we recently found out that he has an antibody that will most likely cause him to reject her kidney.  His aunt Shelli was tested and they found the same antibody. 

Vince needs someone to be his hero.  They are looking for a donor between the ages of 18-35 with a blood type of A or O.  The donor needs to be under 5'7" and have a body mass index under 30.  If you fit this description and would like more information, please contact me.   

It's a long story.....don't ask!

Christmas Carols: The Cure for the Wintertime Blues

The other day I posted about the wintertime blahs and boredom.  I colleague of mine has sent the cure.  I could entertain myself with this for days.  Type in the name of a Christmas carol and these guys will sing it to you.  "Jingle Bell Rock" was my favorite so far.  They remind me of Payton singing Christmas carols.  Yesterday it was "We Wish You A Merry Christmas."   One line went, "Good timings we bring to you and your kids...."  Good times indeed.  Happy Holidays everyone!

Little Boys

Little boys come in all shapes and sizes,
Shy and adventurous, full of surprises,
With misshapen halos and mischievous grins,
Small dirty faces, and sweet, sticky chins.

They'll keep you so busy, and yet all the while
Nothing can brighten the world like their smile.
And no greater treasure has brought homes more joy
Than a curious, active, and lovable boy!

Wintertime Blahs!

Boredom is not something I am very familiar with.  However, every winter it seems to creep silently back into my life.  This year it has crept in very early. 

It is nearing the end of the term and most of my classes are working on final projects or reviewing for finals.  In teacherland this is usually a very welcomed thing.  Right now I just can't seem to find anything to entertain myself while my students work. 

Don't get me wrong, I have plenty to do.  I need to make Christmas candy, I have toilets that need cleaned, and Christmas shopping to finish.  None of that can be completed sitting in front of this computer monitor though. 

I won't complain too long about boredom because my mother will tell me to get up and do something for someone and the fact of the matter is, I just dont want to. 

Do you think my boss would mind if I broke out a bunsen burner and started boiling up candy in my classroom?

To Everything There Is A Season

Ahhhh....the infamous Sunday mornings.  At my house, they are usually full of chaos and confusion.  I am counting down the days until our meeting schedule switches to 9am.  I know some of you may think I'm crazy, but the way I see it, if nobody wakes up until 7, and we have to be at church by 9, that cuts Sunday mornings down to two hours.  I can handle two hours. 

I have decided that nobody should have to raise a 17 year old and a 3 year old at the same time.  That is just natures way of being extremely cruel.  If one of them isn't bossing you around, the other one is.  And both of them do it with about the same mentality. 

Bryce and I had to be at the church early.  Our first counselor to the bishop called us and asked if he could meet with us.  I think the Bishop has officially assigned us to him.  I tell Bryce all the time that the bishop doesn't quite know what to think of me.  I'm half Deana, and half John.  For those of you who will know what that means, you know what that means!  I think that he feels I suffer from bipolar disorder.

Anyway, it had been the morning from hell and Bryce and I were bickering on our way into the church.  Anyway, frustration is one emotion that I handle with tears.  So as we get to the office, I am bawling my eyes out and feeling like quite the idiot. 

So after ten minutes of making sure I'm not having a complete meltdown, the first counselor begins to talk to Bryce and I about a calling.  To make a long story short, by the time we were done, he never even asked us to serve.  I think he could tell that I was officially MAXED OUT! 

The moral of the story?  Maybe I'll play the lunatic card more often!

Baby It's Cold Outside

I left my home this morning at 4:55a.m.  If that wasn't punishment enough, I was on my way to the gym (insert groan here).  Still, that wasn't the worst part.  As I drove by the bank on my way, I noticed the flashing billboard reminding me that I was awake at a time that I didn't know existed with an A and an M behind it.  Still, it got worse.  4 degrees.  I mean really, can that even be considered a temperature?

After my obscene workout at an obscene time of day, I finally made it to work and was sorting through some pictures when I ran across this torture:

These are my fabulous friends wasting the day away last March in the Mexican Riviera.  I couldn't bear to experience my pain alone so I sent them all  a copy.  The subject line said,  "What are you doing today?"  The body of the message read:  "Whatever it is, it's not this." 

The worst part is....there is no trip planned for this year.  Twist my arm guys....twist my arm!

M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E

You have not experienced Disneyland until you have gone with Grandpa John! A three year old? No problem. Hold 'em tight on Space Mountain. And that's exactly what we did. By the way, the 40" height rule can be bent if you are 38 1/2".

We spent fall break in Disneyland with Grandma and Grandpa and had a blast.  It was Payton's first trip on an airplane and she loved it!

The first day we arrived it was a little bit rainy.  On the Disney website it said, "If it rains while you are in Disneyland, consider yourself lucky."  We loved our rainy day.  There was nobody there and it doesn't really rain in California.  It's more of a mist.

Occasionally Grandpa let us go on some of the little kid rides.  Grandma and Payton are now officially space rangers.

Grandma and I just about got kicked off of Main Street USA for running, but Payton was FIRST in line to meet the princesses.  If you want a heads up on how to make this happen, let me know. We were successful!

The boys loved California Adventures.  We "Soared over California" several times.

No trip to Disneyland is complete without the family picture with Mickey.

So much to blog about.....so little blogging!

Okay, so obviously school started. My goal was to update our blog as soon as I got caught up at work. Well guess what? I'm still not caught up but I thought I'd update anyway. Fall has been crazy at our house as usual. Although it is my favorite season, it also seems to be the busiest. We love football and have spent many hours at games this year. Corbin played on both the JV and the Varsity teams this year, Bryce coached an 8th grade team, and we had season tickets for BYU. One week I physically attended SIX different games. That doesn't include our beloved Cowboys that we watch on tv. That's a lot of football for one mom. In addition to standing on sidelines, here are some other things we have been doing:

The 4th of July was spent in Idaho with the cousins. We also took the kids to the Tauphus Park Zoo one day.

Corbin sitting on a chicken....not sure why!

Bryce, realizing he is getting old!

Bryce and I celebrated our 5th anniversary in St. George. We went to the Tuachan Theater and saw Annie. I loved it, he survived it.

Before school started, mom and Payton fit in a few more goofing around days.


The annual tradition for Labor Day? Onion Days of course. You can't be a resident of Payson and not attend Onion Days.

Grandma Deana has even gotten in on the Onion Days tradition for the last three years!

Cameron John got his Aarow of Light award. Way to go buddy!

Fall came and with it the yummy food, colors and activities. We always take the kids to the pumpkin patch in Santaquin.

Dad and his girls!

The boys had their pumpkins picked out pretty quickly.

Payton, however...not so fast. So many pumpkins...so little time!

Her biggest challenge was choosing a pumpkin she could carry.

Finally, the perfect pumpkin!

The thing I'm most excited about this fall: Payton started DANCE LESSSONS!!!!!

And Bryce's biggest event: His team went 13-0 for an undefeated season! Go Cowboys!

(Is there any other name for a football team?)

Aaahhh...finally a girl!

Although I have thoroughly enjoyed my boys and all the "boy things" we've done over the years, I decided officially today that every mother needs a girl. Oh yeah, and did I mention...we LOVE SUMMER!

We Love Summer

Every morning Payton wakes up and asks me..."Are you staying home with me again today mom?" WE LOVE SUMMER!

Day Camp

I got to spend the day with Cameron John today. We went to Camp Jeremiah Johnson for his Webelos Day Camp. It's been a while since he and I have spent a day together and it was lots of fun. He got to shoot BB guns, play in row boats, make rope, pan for gold, and shoot a bow and arrow. It was such a boy day!