5 Minutes for Mom's HDTV Contest

I just HAD to enter this one!!! Best Buy and 5 Minutes for Mom are giving away an HDTV!!! I am excited!! I usually don't win this kind of thing, but hey, why not try??? You can go try if you want, but I'd rather you didn't!! ;)

SMART Habit Sunday

I haven't been doing very well with exercise! I have GOT to find some way to get and keep myself to be more active!!!

Okay, for this week, I have decided to do something different from what I have been doing lately! I want to work on getting my house clean and keeping it that way. So, first I am going to work out a schedule of what to do each day, and then I am going to start doing it! Aaron is going to help, too. I bet I can even get the kids involved. Luke is old enough and Belle loves to do most things, at least for a while.

So, what are you waiting for? Go over to The Lazy Organizer and start getting SMARTer!!

I think I found a template that I really like!!

What do you think? I've been playing around with the generic templates for a long time and then, I realized that I could still do all the things I wanted with this one!! I think I really like this one, at least for now... Who knows what I'll think in a month.

Aquarium Visit!

While we were nearby (though it took us another 1/2 hour to find it) we went to the aquarium!

The first area we walked through was all about the fish and other aquatic animals of Utah and how to help keep them alive. There was a lot about conservation of the water.

They had a really cool boat video set up. The kids could feel like they were driving a boat and learn all about several different parts of the Great Salt Lake! Luke thought it was really neat!


Then, we went through the ocean area. It started with jelly fish. (I know this pic is blurry, but it makes them look kind of ghostly and I thought it was a neat effect.)


There were also jelly fish that were mostly clear, and turned different colors when a light was shined on them. It was weird!

There was also an octopus, but that was when I saw the sign about no flash photography and my camera wasn't doing well without it.

Toward the end of the ocean exhibit, there was an area where you could touch stingrays, sea cucumbers, horseshoe crabs and various other creatures. It was really neat, although stingrays feel really gross!! They are soft, spongy and slimy! Ewww! We even got Belle to touch it, but she didn't like it. It was really neat the way the stingrays would come right up to the edge and kind of wave their fins. They seemed to want to be touched!





There were lots of rocks and fake coral for the kids to play in! They had a blast. The rocks had aquariums in them, so it was like the kids were playing under the ocean!


There was also a "ship wreck" that had games and puzzles and a large aquarium.


Belle especially loved that tank.


There was also a shark tank, and one of them would come right past us over and over again!

It was a blast!! And, it was nicer than being out in the sun at the zoo!!

Guess Who I Met, Yesterday!!!

I finally got to meet some of you blogging gals out there!! It was fun!! I was late and had to track them down, but we got together and had a lot of laughs! I didn't know many of them at all, but it was really fun!

Here I am with Kim!



And Lara!

I wish I had the group pictures to show you, but those will have to wait!

So, go see who I met:

Kim came down to visit and initiated all of the shenanigans! She is hilarious!

Lara came to visit is and is wonderful. I may have to take her up on her offer to visit at her house some time!

Soggy Cheerios is a funny lady, who's blog I will start reading now, since this was our first real exposure to each other.

Twas Brillig's blog looks really neat, but I only just barely started reading it recently. I can't wait to get to know her more.

DeDee was really fun! I haven't really read her blog much, either...but I'm sure it'll be fun!

K was really funny and I can't wait to start reading her blog as well!! She is awesome and gave my kids and I a ride from one place to another, since I don't know the city well. Archer freaked out and had to be forced into her van! I for one and glad she didn't kidnap him!!

Now that I have met you in person, I can't wait to have new blogs to read!!

I finished Harry Potter...Still safe to read...

I finished Harry Potter just a little while ago and let me just say...Whoa!!

I cried twice and nearly three times. I also laughed a lot and really enjoyed the book. It answered my questions and I had a great time reading it.

Now, I need to clean my house! HA!

In case you are about to start suffering from withdrawals...go see what Rowling has planned NEXT!

It is so nice to think about what Harry Potter has done for literacy! It has really gotten children, teens and adults reading!

I think that many people don't (or didn't) realize there were books out there that could hold their interest. There are tons.

I've also realized that there are other young adult authors that I like as well. Aaron started reading them to find books his students would like. I have read several by David Lubar...they are funny and interesting. I have also read Everlost by Neal Shusterman. It was excellent!! I recommend you all go read it...it is really interesting.

I love to read and am really lucky to have married a guy who loves reading more than I do.

Anyway, I better get to cleaning....Harry Potter was more fun...

EDITED to add: Link to part of an interview.

Bear Lake Adventure

We got back, yesterday from a family reunion at Bear Lake. It was a lot of fun and really nice to just slow down and relax. It is nice to not have to do so much and to not feel guilty for the things you aren't doing at home!


A member of Aaron's extended family owns some property on Bear Lake. It isn't improved much--there is a toilet, shower (cold), sink and electricity. There are a few picnic tables, but you pretty much have to bring everything yourself.

We spent most of the time sitting and talking to family, reading, crocheting, playing and swimming. It was nice and we didn't get horrible sunburns. I do have a weirdly shaped sunburn on my back. It looks like a big "X". I guess the sunscreen didn't get right next to my swim suit.

Luke got to go on his first boat ride!!



Aaron and Luke built me my own, private island!! They dug a channel so that the water would surround a part of the sand. It was pretty cool. Now all I need is a cabin on it and some servants!

Here is Luke walking through the channel.



Aaron went for a bike ride a couple of times and when he did, Freckles sat and looked for him to come back and whined.



Freckles also learned how to swim this trip! She was scared at first, but once she did it, she was fine and loved it!

Belle had a blast putting mud and water into a bucket. She did that for a long time!



Belle also spent a lot of her time at the water spigot. It was so funny--most times that I lost sight of her, we'd find her over there, playing with the water. This was a very watery vacation for her!



Luke got his training wheels off at Bear Lake!! He was really excited. He still needs a lot of help riding, but we thought a place with lots of open space that was softer than pavement would be a great place to start!



Now we just have to clean up from the mess it all caused! It was worth it, though!

Waiting for Harry! (Safe to read, since I haven't read the book, yet)

We got the 7th Harry Potter book in the mail, yesterday...thank you Amazon.com. The problem is I have to wait to read it. We decided that Aaron got to read it first, since he is the faster reader. With book 5 we read it out loud to each other. That didn't go very well, because my voice got sore and I needed to stop. He is now on page 596!! So, I don't have too long to wait, but he keeps making noises about what is going on and it just makes me want to read it more! He just ran upstairs because he has to react to something that is going on! Grrr.... I'll get my chance, probably later tonight.

Enjoy Harry!!

I felt like a bag-lady, today...

So, we took our van in to get a recalled part replaced on it and to get an oil change, at 8:30 this morning. We were told that it would only take about 15-20 minutes for the part and we guessed about the same for the oil. So, we stayed. We called my SIL to see if she was in town, but she wasn't. My MIL was willing to drive the 45 minutes to come get us, but we didn't think it was worth it to have her drive up, only to be done before she got there.

Well, it was worth the time. It was 11:40 am, when they called to say our van was ready!! In the meantime, we walked across the street to the only store close by. They only sold socks, so that didn't hold our interests for long. By this time, we were just going to wait for my SIL to come and we were going to go get something to eat...at the gas station. We hadn't eaten breakfast before we left and were planning to run to Wal-Mart for the eggs and milk we were lacking at home.

So, while we were walking the 4 blocks to the gas station, my MIL decided she was going to come help. We got some snacks (Skittles are a healthy breakfast, right??) and waited outside for our ride. I felt like a homeless person with my kids and I eating "breakfast" out by the sign.

We got home, we got exercise and we learned that we can't trust a repair shop to be timely...

On the up side, they seemed really honest! Our van has started to skip and she said we should test to see if the problem is the quality of gas, first. (The other things she said it could be are cheap as well...) We did learn that eventually we need to have about $550 worth of work done, but that is for the future...

I was so glad to have my mei tai with me!! Belle was SO much easier to carry and contain, that way!

SMART Habit Saturday

I missed another week, but I have still been trying to remember to take a vitamin and working my way through 64 ounces of water. I have been doing okay. I feel good about what I have been able to do.

This week, I want to work on exercise! I have been eating better and now, I want to work on exercise. I want to do something physical every day. Aaron wants to as well, so that should make it easier!

If you want to become a better person one habit at a time, go over to The Lazy Organizer and learn all about it!

Mmmwwahh!!

What's that? You think I shouldn't write three posts in one day? Well, I couldn't resist. Belle was having fun playing with my hats. This is the newest one.

I think I may have created a monster, though. She thinks that is the face I want her to make when I am trying to take her picture.

The Simpsons

Here we are as Simpsons. What do you think?? Go to The Simpson's Movie website to make your own avatars!!

Luke Simpson

Belle Simpson


Tirzah Simpson


Aaron Simpson

Thursday Night in Knots

I went to my first Thursday Night in Knots at my local yarn store. It was a lot of fun. I got a lot of my current hat project done and laughed a lot, too! There are some neat ladies that go. There were 21 people and one dog. I think I have finally been inspired enough by other peoples' knitting to try to learn how to knit socks! I just need to buy the stuff! I am excited. I haven't done socks and I think it will be fun as well as challenging.

Daisy Chains Crochet

I started a new blog for selling my crocheted kids' hats!! I was tired of clogging this one up with only pictures that really needed to go somewhere else. So, if you are interested, go over to Daisy Chains Crochet. I am still working on it, so it is a little rough! I'd welcome any suggestions you may have.

Good Reading Habits

Our local library has a summer reading program again this year. If we read for 20 minutes per day, the kids can each get a free book after two weeks. They have really gotten into it and it has been pretty easy now that we are in the habit. I don't have to remember--they remember for us. They love to have books read to them. I think they'd listen until our voices gave out!! It is so nice to have them love books so much. Aaron and I are such book-lovers that we love that our children are following this habit.

Aaron and I have also been reading a lot this summer. We've both been reading young adult fiction by David Lubar and Neal Shusterman. They are both great authors and have written really interesting novels. I've read Dunk, Flip, Hidden Talents & True Talents by Lubar. Right now, I am reading Everlost by Shusterman.
Flip and True Talents are probably my favorites out of these, so far! You should check them out. As a warning: they are mostly free of language, but there is some violence.

My Family is Joining the World of Blogging!!!

My mom and sister just joined the world of blogging!! I am really excited to finally have more people I know blogging! Laura is here! And my Mommy is here! I also learned that my cousin is on blogger, too! He and his wife are here!!

I'm so excited!

I am a freak!

We were going to get some groceries and I saw one of the ugliest insects I have ever seen. (That is saying a lot, because I took an entomology class and got to study lots of icky insects!)

So, anyway, I was carrying Belle and trying to avoid the flying maniac. It landed on my shoulder and I became a flailing maniac. I put Belle down and tried to get the thing off. I was screaming like a...okay, like a girl! It was not pleasant. It finally flew off. I don't know what the thing was. All I know is that it had huge black poky things coming off of it!!

Aaron proceeded to make fun of me for acting like such a freak-show. It was quite the spectacle. There were probably people thinking I was schizophrenic... Oh, well. At least I didn't get stung...I wonder if it could sting. I am getting the willies just thinking about that thing.

Cloche-ish Hat!

I finished another hat, today!! (And, yes I think I may be slightly obsessed with making hats at the moment!) This one is sort of a cloche and it is for a friend's daughter. She is turning two. We got to be pregnant together with our girls and our daughters have gotten to play together a lot during their first two years!!

I can't decide if I like the bow to be the front or the side, yet. I guess the wearer (or her mommy) can decide.

Boy's Hat and a Flower Hat

I finished two more hats!! I had a lot of fun with them and they were faster than the first one, since I had the pattern more defined. I want to get a mannequin head to show the way the hats would lay on a child, but until then, here they are! I could change the colors and size of the stripes any way. As for the flower hat, I think I want to change the design a little, but I like the idea.

I may have a chance to sell them in person, or just put them on eBay or something. I haven't fully decided what to do, yet.

I really want to work it out so that they are fully customizable. Any size, color and design. I am really excited!

4th of July Pictures

Aaron used to do a lot of Revolutionary War reenactment. He started when he was about 15 and stopped a few years ago. Recently, he has gotten back into it! So, what better time to dress up and play a period instrument, but the 4th of July??(He's the one with the black and yellow hat on the left... playing the fife.)

So, we went to a city parade and had a lot of fun. I met a woman who adopted a child from my home town in Florida...how random is that? She was super nice and let the kids sit on her tarp (right on the curb) so they could see better.

Belle really liked the free flags they gave out. She even stole one... We gave it back and the little girl's mom gave Belle a smaller one that she could handle better. She had a lot of fun waving it around.


Since the parade took place near an Air Force base, we got to have planes fly by along with the fire trucks, police cars, and Hummers with soldiers in them.



Miss Utah is also in the military!! She served some time in Afghanistan (or Iraq, I don't remember). I thought it was pretty cool that she wore her uniform with her Miss Utah sash and carried her crown in her hands! It is awesome what women can accomplish, now! I want that kind of example for my daughter. (Sorry the pic isn't better, when the camera was ready again, she was too far away.)



As always, there are a few...different entries:

This one was a casket being pulled by a motorcycle.



I don't know why this founding father was put on a fake elephant, but he also had a guy chasing after him with a shovel to make sure he didn't leave a trail... HA!



Then, there were the most eligible bachelors. I guess they weren't having any luck with the dating scene, so they entered the parade, rode motorcycles and put their phone numbers on their backs. It was pretty funny!



We then went back to Aaron's parents' house and had a BBQ. It was a nice day and we all had fun! I hope you all had a great 4th of July, too!!