My New Playlist

So what do you think of my new music? It's too good to be true. I never thought it could be so easy and free! My friend Tiffany has been nagging me to post music on my blog for sometime. I decided to take the initiative and put my actions to work. Did I pass the test? I love my new playlist! I feel like a kid in a candy shop...Now, I can open my blog and listen to my favorite new music, which is completely different from my itunes!

P.S. It's the simple things in life that bring much hapiness and I am happy!

T.P.

The other night, Kalia and Susie were invited to play night games with the neighbors. By 10:30 p.m., the kids seemed to be wearing down from a long evening of running and playing, and I would have thought that they would have been ready to call it a night, but I couldn't have been more wrong. Their long night was just beginning.

The kids were trying to convince my friend and me to take them toilet papering. I had never been toilet papering with my girls before (Kalia's 3rd time, Susie's 1st). I know what you're thinking, I'm 30 years old and I am such an old dud! But the kids won; they got their way and actually, I might go again! I had a fun time. It brought me back to my childhood years!

I remember one time I went toilet papering, I think I was 14 or 15 years old when my Young Women leader Karen took my friends and me toilet papering to this lady's house (named Cassie. It was 12 :30 a.m. when we arrived to do the job. We had 30 single rolls of TP and we were wrapping every bush, throwing the TP in the trees ... this job was the best in history, well, not really, but it seemed so at the time.:) While I was wrapping TP around a bush, I was right by the house and above me was a window. I looked up at the window just to see if anyone was looking and there was someone -- it was Cassie's husband. It freaked me out so bad, that I ran to the car yelling at the same time, "We are so dead!"

Cassie and my Young women leader were BFF's. Cassie knew that we were having great fun at the expense of her house!

Here was the 1st house we did:

HMMM...I wonder whose house this is? I swear I didn't do it...I was just the driver!

This was the 2nd house:

Three homes in one night...we couldn't exactly do a whole lot of damage!

Picture Perfect

Whenever I call Kalia my "big girl," she corrects me by saying that she is my "older girl." Maybe one day I'll get it right. I am amazed that she will be turning 11 years old in a couple of weeks. Did you know that when she is 20 years old, I will be 40?! (The benefit of having a child at 19.)

Yesterday, I took Kalia in to get her pictures taken (she's not getting any younger, you know). And honestly, I don't know who had a better time at Kiddie Kandids -- Kalia or me. Perhaps it was just flattery, but the photographer said to me, "Are you her sister?" I replied, "No, I'm her mom!" (But sheesh, thanks for the compliment.)

Here are the results:

Boston Highlights

Matt and I flew to Boston on Friday, June 22. When I was 11 years old, I had a 3-hour layover in Logan airport. Since that time, I have dreamed of returning to gain a full picture of Boston, and my dream finally came true!

We took the metro, which is something we never do back home.
We also took our friends along with us. Here we are in Arlington, Massachusetts (a suburb of Boston) sitting on the front porch of Aaron's great (x8) Grandpa's house. Aaron's relative was famous or something, so we took a tour of his house and Alisa found a receipt therein that had the last name of one of her ancestors on it. Could it be??? Aaron and Alisa cousins?! I don't know for sure, but whatever conclusion you draw, you didn't hear it from me.

I was thinking ... who cares if they're cousins? I mean, they look so happy, don't they? Let's just pretend the whole receipt problem didn't even exist. Then life could go back to normal. Well, as normal as it can get when you're married to your cousin. OK, enough poking fun. I'll just finish with this: you know they're not cousins because their kids are so cute!
Speaking of happy couples, here's the other one from our group. Don't they look like newly-weds? (Or maybe even fiances.)
Then there's us, and unfortunately, we don't much resemble newlyweds anymore. However, twelve years later and we're still just as happy as Day 1.
Enough mushiness. Onto the sights! We stopped by Harvard University, and I am sad to report that while the campus was quite enchanting, the surrounding area was somewhat of a dumping ground.
Did you ever see Schindler's List? Well, I did (forgive me of my sin). This monument was erected in commemoration of the Jews who lost their lives to Hitler. Even though this tribute is right in the middle of Boston, it still felt sacred. (Note: Matt's not trying to pat his head and rub his tummy at the same time, it was raining!)

Last, but certainly not least, we found the Boston temple.

And it was oh-so-beautiful!
We were hoping to run into our pal Mitt -- he lives just three minutes away. Notwithstanding, it was a fabulous trip!

My Favorite Movies

1. Sabrina (Harrison Ford and Julia Ormond)
2. Ever After
3. Chocolat
4. While You Were Sleeping
5. Pollyanna
6. Return To Me
7. 50 First Dates
8. Two Weeks Notice
9. How to lose a guy in 10 days
10. Pride & Prejudice

Susie's new haircut

Susie's been in need of a haircut for quite sometime. This time I took it upon myself to cut her hair. Thanks Susie, for trusting me!

Standard Operating Procedure

I don't know about you, but...I've had it! I don't know why it is so easy for my kids to lose track of their toothbrushes and leave the toothpaste on the counter in the bathroom. Well, problem solved--I've decided to put their favorite colored toothbrush, mark the toothpaste with their name and put it in a ziplock bag! This way, I will be sure to know who is doing their job.


Thank goodness for SOP's...Where would we be?. :))

Unexpected Visit

Tonight we had a pleasantly, surprised knock on our door when Marcus, Keisa, Ainsley and Emerson were standing, holding this plate of cookies!

Ainsley and Emerson, you can always bring us chocolate chip cookies. :))

These are the cookies

Keisa, these are the best chocolate chip cookies ever. :)) Thank you.

P.S. You need to post your recipe on your blog.

July 2008

July 2008
4th - Happy Birthday, America!
7th - Aunt Sarah's Birthday
24th - Pioneer Breakfast