CHRISTMAS REVIEW

We have had quite the busy week. Here is what our week was like. For the most part. Let's start with the Friday before Christmas....

We attended the temple lights with some members of my family. It's always fun to go & look at this amazing display. They also have a display in the Visitor's Center of nativities from around the world that's pretty cool, too.























My niece Shelby was lucky enought to warrant a spot in the background of our family photo!


















After the temple lights some of our group came back to our house for some hot chocolate. Which of course would not be complete without a photo of all the guys & their Tinkerbell mugs. Silly boys!

Then my nieces Shelby & Lainie spent the night with us. The girls had a blast & we were lucky enough to be graced with the presence of a pirate, a couple of dancers & a princess at breakfast.

Saturday afternoon we headed to Mimi & Papa's for a wonderful Winter Wonderland party! What a blast & of course my camera was starting to break so I have no pictures. Hopefully one of the other girls will get one to me. (hint - hint)

On Monday we built gingerbread houses. I tried to be economical about it & bought graham crackers & some random candies. Not necessarily a good idea. The weren't very stable & only mine & Jadyn's houses actually stayed up. Oh well - it was still fun. Here are the finished products...

Erik's...

Kylie's...(she's helping hers stay up for the photo)

Jadyn's...

Mine...

Tuesday came a little non-Christmas surprise. Jadyn lost her first tooth. She woke up in the morning & claims it just fell out into her hand. It's still a mystery, but at least it's out!

That brings us to Christmas. We spent Christmas Eve with Erik's family & had a fun time eating, playing & watching The Office. Christmas morning we woke up & opened presents in our own home! This was only the 2nd time since we've been married that we've done that & it was nice. Kylie was a little excited to get Battleship & Jadyn was just excited! After presents we went to see "Bedtime Stories". Then, just lazied around the rest of the day. Erik & I have spent way too much time on Facebook playing Mob Wars this past week, but it's been a nice, relaxing break for us. I'm sad for school to start again next week!

CHRISTMAS CARD

For those of you that did not receive this via email for whatever reason - here you go...


Dear Family and Friends,


We are taking the easy way out this year & emailing our cards. Much better than last year when we did nothing! So, here's a little peek into what we've been up to...


ERIK - Erik still works for Bell Photographers & enjoys his job. He's working hard to pick up new schools for next season. He also has a new passion he's busy working on. It is "Mob Wars" on facebook. If anyone has a facebook account be sure to find Erik & join his mob. And if you don't have an account - consider opening one so you can join in the fun. He's also been moving our house around. He moved our office into our loft & separated the girls. Which turned into quite the project of reorganizing the whole house. He is also enjoying this season for another one of his loves - Basketball season! He is currently the Sunday School teacher for the 14+ year olds in our ward.


MELANIE - Melanie's been busy teaching away. Her studio is closing though & that comes with mixed emotions. Sad to see it go, but happy to be home more. She lost her older brother Michael this summer & that has been hard. Thank goodness for the gospel & the knowledge that she'll be able to see him again. She just received a calling as the 1st counselor in the Young Womens & is excited for this opportunity. She's even started to work a little more for Erik.


KYLIE - 9 years old - Kylie is our little social butterfly still. She just turned 9 this month & loves having her own room. She's growing up so fast it's just unbelievable! She is now in 3rd grade & was chosen as Student of the Month in September. She was chosen to play "The Dead Girl" in the Easter Pageant this year & loved every minute of it! She was elated to see a clip of her part on the news even. She did so well with her big part. The directors must have thought she did a good job as well because she has been cast in the same part for this coming year! Erik's just hoping he'll be able to carry her up the ramp this time without falling since she's so long. Keep your fingers crossed for us.


JADYN - 5 1/2 years old - Jadyn is still our little princess. She is a girly-girl through & through. She loves anything to do with make-up, hair & fashion. (Poor kid picked the wrong mom to have with those passions.) She started Kindergarten this year & is very proud that she gets a 100% on almost everything she does. She's our little genious & school is not tough for her at all. She loves that her school is a little harder than the normal public school because it's still too easy for her. We'll see how long that lasts. She also received the priviledge of being chosen as Student of the Month for November. She lost her first tooth yesterday & is happy to show everyone how her tongue can now stick out of her teeth.
We are so blessed in many ways. We love & appreciate all of you! We would not be who we are without any of you. We are so thankful for this season & for the Savior in our lives. We love this time of year to be reminded often of His birth & all that He has done for us. We hope all of you are happy & well. We wish all of you a very Merry Christmas!


Love - The Parkinson's

SAD WEEK

This is a sad week for me for 2 reasons...

1. Monday was the 15th. Which means that it was the 6 month anniversary of my brother's passing. It was a hard day for me remembering that. We did have a family party that night that helped me. I'm not sure if anyone even knew, but it was a rough one. I miss him - I've missed the normal Michael for years, but that doesn't make it any easier.

2. The studio that EmmaLee & I have worked so hard on is closing this week. We are so small, which is what we wanted. Well, we didn't want to be this small, but we didn't want to be huge either. With the economy the way it is & everyone cutting out "extras" - dance is the first "extra" to go for most families. Needless to say, we are no longer able to stay afloat. I debated about writing about this on my blog, but it is a part of my history, so it was necessary. Plus, I'd rather have people read about it than ask me how things are going & have to tell them in person. We are sad. Yet, we're also happy to be home more with our families.

On a happier note. We are excited for the holidays at my house! I am still working on our Christmas Cards. Surprise, surprise! It won't be much - I just have to do it. And we're going the lame route this year & emailing them out to everyone. So, if we don't have you're email be sure to leave a comment with it so we can get one to you. Thanks & love to all!

NINE

How old do I look? WAIT! Don't answer that! But, apparently I'm old enough to have a 9 year old. When in the world did that happen?! My Kylie turned 9 yesterday & this is just eating me up. Last year when she turned 8 I was just baffled by the fact that she was getting so big. But 9 is really big. She's basically reaching the tween phase & not a "kid" anymore. CRAZY!!

The poor girl hasn't had a friend party in years. (Let's face it - she was born in December & who wants to go to a birthday party in December?) Well, we had one this year last Saturday & she's been planning on having a "Camp Rock" party since the summer time when the movie came out. We played a trivia game from the movie where we showed clips from the movie & then asked random questions about what they just watched. Then, we did the whole cupcakes & presents thing. (The party was held at the studio to easily accomodate all the kids. So, we didn't have ice cream since there's not a freezer their. We just had cupcakes.) I was quite impressed with my cupcakes since I have no cake decorating abilities what-so-ever. Kylie wanted 8th note cupcakes like in the movie, so here's what we got...Then, we learned a little bit of the end dance from the movie. This was the one other activity Kylie really wanted to do. When I told the girls what we were doing one girl came up & very seriously told me,"I don't dance." I told her it would be short & maybe she would have fun just trying it. She said, "No, I don't dance." Needless to say, again, you can't please everyone. All in all it was a fun day.And, of course, being the good mother that I am I have no pictures from yesterday. Her actual birthday. Man - I rock! Oh well. Happy Birthday to my big girl - we love you tremendously!!

PRAYERS

My heart breaks for this young couple in my ward. This couple was married earlier this year (in February I believe). In July they learned that Susan had colon cancer. What a fight this poor girl had. She passed away Friday night & my heart just aches for them. I just can't even imagine what they've been through & what this poor husband is dealing with - especially now. I didn't get a chance to know them personally, but their story has touched me. Check out their blog for the entire story...
http://lemonademakers.blogspot.com/
Please, if you feel, prayer for this family. I'm sure they will be greatly appreciated during this hard time.

STUDENT OF THE MONTH

Kylie was chosen as Student of the Month in September & Jadyn was chosen for November! We're so proud of her & she was so excited! The value for the month of November was GRATITUDE. Here's what her teacher had to say about her...


Jadyn is a wonderful student to have in class. She follows the rules and is a good role model for other students. Jadyn always tries her best. She showed GRATITUDE by being thankful for her family.

THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving.....HUH??.....What?! That's the way I feel. Time is just flying by. I can't believe Thanksgiving has come & gone already & life is just full speed ahead. My head is constantly spinning. This year we ventured to Dammeron Valley to spend Thanksgiving with my Mom & my Stepdad Alan. It was nice to get away for a bit - even though we froze. Well, I did. Sad to say that the following pictures are all I have. We spent a couple of hours Thanksgiving night just taking silly pictures. Oh wait - we spent most of the weekend being silly! What do you expect when all the sister get together. Alan's girls are hilarious & they make me laugh. I truly am greatful for them & the fun weekend we had together. They are my sisters even if it's not by blood. Alayne came up from Vegas for the day on Thanksgiving & it was so good to see her. It has been a couple of years since we saw her. Anyway, here's some of our silly pictures....

Allison's never looked so beautiful as she does in the above picture!

The next pictures are what happens when Stephanie's around when Erik's getting set up for family Christmas Card photos in front of my Mom's house...

MY WEEKEND

First off, I'm going to do this a little out of order. I'm going to start with Saturday. I spent most of the day at the boutique mentioned in the previous post. It was fun. Not as busy as I'd hoped, but still good. If anything, it was worth hanging out with Shelley all day. She's a blast to be with.


After the boutique was over I rushed home to host a combined birthday party. Actually, Mignon did all of the work - we just used my house. It was for my nephew Carter, my Erik & my Grandma Smith. It was quite the occasion since it was my Grandma's 90th! She's such an amazing women. We're still trying to decipher all of her crazy stories in life.


Yes, Erik's birthday was last Thursday. He is now 35 years old. He's getting up there & we love to tease him about it. Especially since he really doesn't care. I am blessed to have him in my life. He is wonderful. Here's just one of the many reasons why he's great & how I will now tie in my Friday night.....


We were lucky enough to go out on Friday for Erik's birthday. What does he chose to do? Go see TWILIGHT!! Gotta love that man! I thought for sure he would have picked 007, but he didn't. He was interested to see how Twilight would turn out - as well as me being absolutely giddy about it, so we went to see it. He said it was OK, of course. And I LOVED IT, of course! I'm as bad as all of the swooning teenage girls that were in the theater with us. What I loved most was the fact that people were cheering & screaming in the movie. It was great! When does that ever happen? Plus, everyone I've talked to that has seen it said people were vocal in their showings as well. Sure, it was cheesey in parts & you could tell it was a low budget film. But, that was half the charm I thought. I'm actually leaving my home to see it again in an hour by myself because I can't stand it! I have to see it again! Another thing I loved was the fact that my sis RUBY called me last night to tell me that she might be in love with Edward. She's never read the books, but LOVED the movie as well. Thanks RUBY that really made my day! Now get reading!!

Hope everyone else had a fun weekend like I did. I can't remember the last time I had a weekend packed with excitement like this that I just had to write about. So, now, in honor of my new texting fun with REN & RUBY (We like to randomly text quotes from the movie to each other.) here's a quote for ya...
"I only said it would be better for you if we weren't friends. Not that I didn't want to." - E.C.

DON'T MISS THIS!

Make sure you're available on Saturday to come to this. You won't be disappointed I'm sure. Lots of CUTE stuff will be their! Click on the images below to make them larger if you want more info. And don't forget to come say hi to me!

TAGGED

I got tagged by Rachelle today & shockingly enough I'm actually doing it. And fast, too! I was told to post the picture in the 6th folder & 7th picture in that folder. I didn't even look to see what picture it was until it popped up, but was laughing hysterically because I got this....



Erik took pictures for Luke's landscaping company for Christmas Cards the other year to give out to their customers. So enjoy!! I now tag everyone!
P.S. - If you're looking for a landscaping company you can't find any better than these guys. Call the # in the picture!!

LESSON

Today I taught the lesson in Relief Society & the phrase "the teacher always learns more" was not a disappointment today. The lesson was on the Second Coming & I had such a hard time with this one. Upon first looking at my lesson I thought,"Oh, the Second Coming - that should be easy." UH, NO!! It was really hard for me & I can't really even say why. But, a comment was made that really struck me. I knew had to write about it so I can always remember this thought...

At the end of the lesson the Millenium was discussed. 1,000 years of peace. How wonderful would that be? Satan will be bound! I always thought that sounded just wonderful. Though it still does - something was said that struck me. I never thought about the fact that not all trials are Satan's doing. Many of them are self-inflicted. Makes sense right? So, maybe the Millenium will not be "Club Med". I always knew that the Millenium would not be a big party, but this really hit home to me since I would venture to guess that a lot of my problems & issues are self-inflicted. But, this wasn't the thought that really struck me.

It was also in the lesson that the earth will turn to glass & be as a giant Urim & Thummum. That people will be able to fully see themselves as others see them. Upon reading that I instantly got worried - being reminded that my thoughts will be an open book for everyone. But, a comment was made about a flip-side to this thought. A sister talked about how she was excited for this time so that certain family members & friends would finally have the chance to see themselves the way that others see them. In the sense, that they are such wonderful people that don't think much of themselves - people that will definitely benefit from realizing what beautiful people they are! This was awe-inspiring to me.

There are so many people in my life that I felt this definitely would apply to. I have family members that don't truly know how great they are, how much I & others look up to them. It breaks my heart to think that these people live their lives not knowing how truly loved they are. Especially since I myself get in those moods & I know how dangerous those thoughts can be. We are all loved by so many & are so blessed. We are all loved by our Heavenly Father. Even though it is hard to do - we must always remember to have the faith we need to continue through life.

To all who read this know that I LOVE YOU! Because most that read this are my friends & family. I will always be here if you need me.

QUOTE ANSWERS

Check below for the answers to the quotes. Major kudos to Valerie who got one of the hard ones - Albus Dumbledore's quote from Harry Potter. And how is it that only EmmaLee knew the easy ones? I would have thought those were a given! At any rate, good job Emm. You deserve a ride on my "shlip 'n' shlide". Shweeet!! Wow! I'm tired & getting silly - I need to go to bed....

VOTING

Cherylann - this is for you....

For the first time ever - I, Melanie, voted. I know, I know, before you all go and start yelling at me & asking "Are you American?" please know that I am a very proud American. I am, however, not a fan of politics & how they are run. Which I'm sure is another cause at some major backlash - so, no yelling at me please. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But, hey! I voted today & so did Erik. I felt it was necessary this time - mainly for Prop 102. Not to mention that the prophet asked us to do so. Here's pictures of us with our "I voted today" stickers to prove it...

HALLOWEEN 08

We had a blast this Halloween. We pulled the girls out of school early (which meant Jadyn didn't go at all) & headed down to Arivaca, AZ! Luke & Rennie invited us down for fun & excitement in a small town. There's no other way to do it - small towns know how to hook it up! Everyone in the town met at a church & had hot dogs, etc. Then, everyone piled onto a hayride. Luke had the best rig, of course, so we hopped on for the ride of a lifetime. Once we were on our "hayride" we followed a line of other trucks & made designated stops to trick-or-treat. Not until after I got yelled at for not following the rules though. Seems you're not allowed to jump onto the truck when it's about to move. Once the signal of one honk was made you were to remain still. Who knew it would be bad to jump on after running from grabbing something out of the car? At least no one got hurt. We made 3 small stops where people had tables set up to pass out candy. Then, the last stop was on Main St. - the downtown area - where the street was lined on both sides with tables to trick-or-treat at. We were really proud of Kylie who usually ends up not trick-or-treating because she gets scared of scary costumes, but she was a trooper this time & we didn't have any issues. The kids had a blast & told us multiple times how fun it was & that is was the best! (We owe a HUGE thank you to Rennie's mom for making Kylie's chaps & vest for her cowgirl costume. Lainie wanted to be a cowgirl, too, so she was nice enough to make Kylie some as well when she made Lainie's. They were perfect!! Thank you Sally!! Oh & Rennie for Jadyn's costume. Basically we didn't buy costumes this year - we just bummed off Rennie. Yeah us! Thanks again Ren!!)
Then, what's Halloween without having a little fun with the mullet?! We got some choice looks. Maybe people thought we were poking fun. We were - only just at ourselves! WOW! That's a scary picture of me! Notice I'm doing a hang ten sign with a mullet on. HUH?! I don't know. But, Ren, looks perfect!
We rode horses on Saturday at the ranch & Erik took pictures of the Hallows gang. The boys even had a little mishap on a horse & fell off while riding bareback. They're tough, so it didn't do anything to them. We had so much fun we ended up staying until Sunday morning instead of leaving on Saturday as planned. It's just so hard to leave when you're having fun! Thanks again Luke & Rennie for the fun weekend!!

QUOTES

Just for kicks...

Erik & I LOVE movies. We quote them quite often as well & usually laugh our heads off at our quotes. Although most people probably have no clue what we're saying. I've listed just 10 of some of our quotes & I'm curious to see if ANYONE can guess them all. To be honest - if someone can guess them all - I will be in utter shock & will probably owe them a treat of some kind. Some of them are pretty easy & if you don't know them I will wonder what kind of a rock you live under. So, here we go - try it out....

1. It's our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.
Albus Dumbledore - Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets

2. Get him a body bag!
Karate Kid

3. She shouldn't be too hard to find - she's standing right next to you.
Jason Bourne - Bourne Supremacy (I admit, this is not exact)

4. You are my life now.
Edward - Twilight (Iknow it's not out yet, but it is a movie coming out & he does say it. I saw it on a commercial. So, this was kind of a trick.)

5. Hold on to your lugnuts - it's time for an overhaul!
(This is in no way a clue, but we say this all the time in the car to our girls when they need to hold on. Most parents hold out their hands & say "Hold on", but we say the previous quote.)
Jim Carrey in The Mask

6. You're not too bright are you?
Seth Green in Italian Job - making fun of "Handsome Rob"

7. No way! I'm on Steven's team.
Jim Carrey in Cable Guy (Seriously underated show. It's HI-larious & Erik's favorite all time movie.)

8. We both know I'm training to become a cage fighter.
Kip - Napoleon Dynamite

9. Worst of all I never learned how to read!
Wayne - Wayne's World

10. Johnny always wanted to ride the Gauntlet. I just gave him his wish.
Kevin Bacon in The River Wild (This is Erik's other favorite movie)

LASER TAG

Saturday night we were invited to go play laser tag with a bunch of other couples. (Thanks Nikki for setting it all up!) We had a blast! It was a much needed fun night out. Chad & Shelley came as well which made it all the more fun. We were able to play 2 rounds. I forget sometimes how tall my husband is. Especially since we know so many other tall people & some make him look small, but he looks like a giant in this picture.

Here's our standings out of over 50 people....

Round 1:

Erik got 22nd

I got 31st

Round 2:

Erik got 25th

I got 10th - WOOHOO!!

RANT

For your listening pleasure - instead of ranting & raving like I really want to here's some videos for you....
Misfits
Mr. Cellophane
Yeah - it's been that kind of week!

TOMATOES

What would you do if you all of a sudden inherited 3 cases of tomatoes? As for me, I've been making salse & canning away! Mimi called me on Friday & said they had cases of tomatoes & to come get some if I wanted some. So, you know I did! I got 3 cases & out of those 3 cases I ended up with a little over 2 that were good enough to use. This is how much it made....

8 quart jars
24 pint jars
3 frozen quart bags of puree
& 1 1st degree burn on my middle finger YIPEE!!

Not too shabby for $21. I spent roughly $5 on some other ingredients & $16 on some more jars. After some hours on Saturday & many hours today - I'm happy to say I'm done!!! I'm beyond tired from standing on my feet for most of the day. But, hey - I now have a year supply of salsa on hand - WOOHOO!! Livin La Vida Loca!!

STUDENT OF THE MONTH

WOW! Two posts in one day - that's what I get for being so busy I can barely breathe. Let alone deal with my blog. I had to brag about my Kylie. She was chosen as Student of the Month! Each teacher picks a student in their class each month that best exemplifies the value of the month. Kylie's teacher chose her for the month of Septemebr & the value was R-E-S-P-E-C-T!! Here's what her teacher said about her...
"Kylie is a friend to all. She never excludes anyone or makes them feel unimportant. She has a smile for everyone and always treats others with respect and kindness. She brightens up our room with her smile and warm, friendly personality. I am so happy that she is a part of our classroom."

She truly is a sweet kid. You know how some kids can be just mean? Kylie cannot! She is kind to everyone. In fact, it was fitting that at the little ceremony the little girl to the left of Kylie in the above picture was terrified. She's a little girl in Jadyn's class & just cried because she didn't want to go up to get her picture taken with the other kids. Well, Kylie asked her if she would go up when they called Kylie up & she said yes. Kylie made sure she stood by her & was ok. Then, she was fine. But, that's the typical thing for Kylie to do. She's amazing that way! When Kylie played soccer in Vegas when she was 4 or 5 she spent most of her time on the field making sure others were ok & keeping up - rather than paying attention to the ball. She just cheered others on. She always tries to include everyone in things - although, she does have to be in charge! We call her our "little Bishop" because we have to show up a few minutes early for church so she can walk around & greet everyone. Erik & I sit down while Kylie goes around & welcomes everyone to church. She's so funny, but I love that she's just so loving & sweet to everyone! She's the best & we love her so. CONGRATS MY KIDDO!!

Now, here's a funny Jay story for the day. We showed up to drop her off for school a couple of minutes early & she decided she needed to go to the bathroom before school started. So, we walked back to the student restrooms & she went in. A couple of minutes later she walks out & walks into the boys bathroom. I was on the phone with my Dad & I start yelling "Jadyn - you can't go in their - that's the boys!" She comes out & holds up her finger in the "just a minute" fashion & walks back in. I yell again & then she comes out with a paper towel in her hand. "Mom, I had to go in their to get a paper towel to dry my hands because the girls bathroom is out!" Well, duh! What was I thinking? Silly mom! Silly kid!

ANOTHER DREAM

Just for kicks - here's the dream I had last night....

I was at church in sacrament meeting - sitting in the back row. (Which we always sit right up front in the same area. You know you all have designated areas you sit in! And when someone's visiting & steals your spot you get all flustered for the rest of the block!) Anyhoo, I was approached & asked to come outside to talk to someone in the middle of sacrament. So, I go out in the foyer & some cops are standing there. Weird! They then ask me to help out with an investigation & ask me to go under cover for them. Um... OK. I'm suppose to go into this nursery class, sidetrack the nursery leader & talk her into going out of the classroom to run some kind of erand for the class. So, they get me all dressed up to be under cover. (Not sure why my regular dress wouldn't have worked, but I had to be completely revamped to be undercover. SWEET!) Then, as I'm getting ready to walk into the class I start freking out. I'm completely terrified & start having a panic attack. The cop in charge got frustrated with me & just said to forget it - just bust into the classroom & grab the suspect! So, what do they do? They tear gas the nursery room - yes, kids & all. Storm in & grab the lady they wanted. Oh & they grabbed the kids out as well to get them away from the tear gas. How nice of them!

WEIRD!! What is that suppose to mean? Although, I have to admit, it was a little bit of a nice change for me seeing how I wasn't on the other end of the chase this time like I normally am.

FALL

YEAH! Fall is in the air along with one of our favorite holidays - HALLOWEEN!! We do love this holiday - especially Erik! Go figure?! Kylie, however, hates it. She's terrified to walk by the Halloween aisle at any store, even if it's cutesy stuff. She's a little scaredy-cat, but we love her. Now, you may notice a CONTEST blinkie to the side of my blog. My friend Wynne (who is the most hilarious person, by the way) is having a fun contest for all of you creative people. Check out her blog - she's actually having 2 contests. I would participate, but I'm not creative in the least. Nor am I very funny - so I'll leave it up to others. But seriously Wynne, cute idea & I live to hear your comments. Your comments on my crazy dreams had me laughing out loud. You're the best! So, enjoy the season & for those of us in good 'ol AZ - hopefully it will get below 100 degrees soon!

GO BULLDOGS!!

We have a nephew that plays football for Queen Creek High School. Last weekend our girls participated in a cheer clinic with our niece Ciara. It was a great idea I thought for a fundraiser & our girls were beyond excited to hang out with the cheerleaders & to be able to cheer for RJ. As part of the clinic the girls got to perform at the football game on Friday night. It was so fun. Here's a few pics...
Jadyn & her "buddy"...
Kylie & Ciara's group with their "buddy"...
The Parkinson girls...
This was the only picture that turned out somewhat decent of the players I took. RJ is #34 in the middle. He was one of the team captains at this game.

DREAMS & JADYNx2

DREAMS
I do not sleep well at night. And this could be part of the problem. I have the craziest dreams. They are always about people out to get me & chasing me & I usually end up waking up in a panic. Here's just a couple of examples...

Last Tuesday I had a dream that a giant robot was chasing me. I ended up swimming in the ocean because robots would rust in water right? NO! He swam after me. I found a rocky bank that looked like the bank to Alcatraz & started to climb up it & find a hiding spot. I then see the robot coming out of the water right in front of me & I woke up.

On Wednesday I had a dream that I was doing deposits for Bell when I noticed a $1 bill I had just laid down started blinking. Not even a $10 or $20 bill - a $1 bill. The next thing I know may house is swarmed with about 20 SWAT guys pointing their rifles at my face. Turns out the $1 bill was marked for some drug lord & ended up in the Bell deposit. Go figure?

JADYNx2
Jadyn has this little boy in her class named Jayden. I think because they have the same name they have seemed to "click". I ask Jadyn everyday who she played with at recess & she always tells me that she just chased Jayden around. One day I decided to ask his mom about it to see if he ever says anything & she tells me how he never shuts up about Jadyn & she's all he talks about when he comes home from school. She says he comes home spelling her name correctly even though he's still working on his own. Then he tells her that he can't help himself because she's always smiling & she has the cutest smile! I think I like that kid - he has good taste!

3 MONTHS

Today is the 3 month anniversary of my brother Michael's passing. (**Click HERE if you don't know the story.**) I still am in shock & not a day goes by that I don't think about him & that horrific week. Here's a picture I love...
My brother's Michael & Jeremy came with me to get my bridal pictures done. Along with Michael's first wife Suesie. We had so much fun laughing our heads off at all of the silly things I had to do. At one point the photographer had my brothers hold both sides of my veil out for a softer background & she had a hard time getting a straight picture because we were just laughing. (Yet, I also look at this & think - what was I thinking with that silly looking veil? And how much that dress dates me. Oh well!!) I'm so thankful for these memories I have & that our photographer thought about taking this picture.



Yesterday was my turn to teach in Relief Society & it was on the Plan of Salvation. Just a subtle reminder on why we're here & where we're going. Again, I'm so thankful for this knowledge. I just can't imagine how people go through things like this & think this is it. It just is mind boggling to me. For now, my only comfort is that I will see my brother again & for that I am grateful!

I love you Michael!!

CONFESSION

I have a confession to make. I will apologize now for anyone who may be offended. Jess - you may fall out of your chair! But, I just have to admit that I love the Jonas Brothers!
You have to admit, the fact that they write their own music is quite impressive. Who writes their own music anymore? I'm not a huge fan of people who don't. Although, I'm sad to say that I don't mind Miley Cyrus either. I guess that's what we get for having two girls! And don't let Erik fool you. He doesn't mind them that much either. In fact, he went to the doctor the other month & came home & told me how he read an article about Nick Jonas while he was in the waiting room. Turns out that Nick (that would be the youngest brother in the middle of the picture) has Type 1 diabetes pretty bad. So, we like him best. Anyway, just had to share how pathetic my life has gotten these days.

CELEBRITIES

The other week I was told I was cool because of all of my "connections". First off, I've never been told I was cool a day in my life! (Thanks Maggie for making me feel special!) On behalf of this funny thought - I think I may need to clarify some things. Here is my run-ins with famous people. (Sorry this will be another novel.) Keep in mind, that they are all more of a "6 degrees to Kevin Bacon" type run-ins. Not people that I actually have met. Besides one.... moment of silence please for the picture I treasure the most...
Not photoshopped in anyway. This is real. I won a backstage meet & greet pass to get a picture taken with my favorite band! Gotta LOVE it!!

Now, to continue on. Did you know that my Dad dated Linda Carter? Oh & that my mom was friends with Steven Spielberg? These are treasured stories (aka jokes) that we tell in my family. Actually, Steven Spielberg did go to Arcadia High with my parents, but he was in a different grade & they didn't know him. He ended up moving away to California after his Sophomore year I think. Linda Carter went to school with them as well. (For those of you that are young - she played "Wonder Woman" on the TV series.) She was a year older, I believe, than my parents & had a younger sister named Pam that my mom was friends with.

When Erik & I were dating we were quite the concert goers. We went to a concert once at a very small venue with a brand new up & coming band named "Weezer". There was maybe 50 people at this concert - quite cool! After we were married we still went to a few concerts. Erik worked for Ticketmaster building the printers that printed out concert tickets. (Remember when you had to go to Dillard's & wait in line for tickets. Gotta love the internet!) Sometimes Erik could pre-order tickets through work & get better seats. We did so for a 311 concert & somehow ended up with tickets that had "CLUB" stamped on them. When we arrived we were told that we could go to the "CLUB" backstage before the show & hang out. We did thinking we might get a glimpse of the band, no such luck. But, the opening band was there & I was a little sad since I was not excited AT ALL for the opening band. They had one single out & it was horrible. It drove me crazy - it was a song called "Fly". Here's who the lead singer was that I stood maybe 3 feet from at one point....
What was I thinking!?! After they played I was so mad at myself because everything they played, besides "Fly" of course, was good. Oh well! You live & you learn. By the way, this picture is one Erik took years later at a benefit concert in Vegas that he was asked to take pictures at. Sugar Ray was the headliner along with Vertical Horizon.

Here's the story that has been construed the most that I must clarify. All of my Vegas friends will laugh hysterically at this one. When Erik & I first moved to Las Vegas we were in Gladys Knight's ward. She is a very busy woman though & was out of town a lot. And no, I do not have her #. They kept that out of the ward list for good reason. I talked to her only a couple of times. She did wish Kylie a Happy Birthday on her first birthday & I thought that was pretty cool. She's hilarious & always had something to say in class. But, she would have no clue who I was. My mom is friends with her daughter Kenya who is the sweetest lady you will ever meet. Kenya was in the ward, too. She has a son named Jordan that's the same age as Kylie. They were in nursery together & he was the cutest little kid. When Kylie started Kindergarten & I would drive her to school I loved seeing Gladys driving her kids to school on her golf cart. It was great!! What a cool grandma! But, that's the whole story.



Some think it's cool that I know Stephenie Meyer's sister-in-law - I am one of those. But, in respect to her & Stephenie I will not say who. This poor lady gets bugged all of the time about Stephenie & I am guilty of bugging her.


I've met the real "Rudy" before. (From the football movie based upon a true story.) My mom & stepdad were friends with him for awhile in Vegas. I won't say why. We just met him once on one of our visits.


Some think my dad is a celebrity. Ok - so about 300 people is all that were in the Easter Pageant. My dad played Jesus in the Easter Pageant for 11 years & he was treated like a star. Especially by the little kids. (Hey! I gotta beef up my stories somehow!) Although, my dad does get told that he looks like Harrison Ford. Which, back in the day, I used to get told I looked like Sarah Jessica Parker in "Girl's Just Wanna Have Fun". I played tennis my freshman year & during one of my matches the girl stopped it & came to the net to tell me I looked like her. "Um, OK, thank you." Then, when I went to Australia for dance I had people ask me if I was her. Weird! Too bad I don't look like her now!

Have you ever been laughed at by a celebrity? Well, you know I have. We had friends visiting in Vegas & we were walking around the strip. We were in the Mirage (not sure why - since there's nothing to see their in my opinion) when everyone had to go to the bathroom besides me. So, we found a restroom down a deserted hall & I sat outside waiting. Just then a few other people came as well. While some of their group went in to the restroom one guy & one girl stayed out talking. I did a double take at the guy because he looked EXACTLY like Steve Harwell. (The lead singer of Smash Mouth.) Same silly skinny beard & everything only his hair was bleach white instead of black. I found myself thinking "What a loser. He is such a wannabe!" The whole time I kept glancing at him & they were just watching me. Like they knew what I was thinking. It was weird. Then, it clicked. It was Steve Harwell - he just bleached his hair. At that point his friends came out & I was getting ready to get up when they looked over at me (Knowing I finally figured it out.) & laughed. Yes, laughed & then walked away. Only to me.

Now, on behalf of this fun - let's end with a game of 6 degrees to Kevin Bacon. Upon which - I'd like to hear yours. Here's mine - I can make it in 5 degrees...

1. I know my stepmom Mignon

2. She has a cousin named Anita that was in a scene of "Dumb and Dumber" with Jim Carrey

3. Jim Carrey was in "Ace Ventura" with Courtney Cox

4. Courtney Cox was in "Friends" with Jennifer Aniston

5. Jennifer Aniston was in a movie called "Picture Perfect" with KEVIN BACON!!

How many can you make it in?