"BLACK FRIDAY... Where were you at Midnight?"

We came, We saw, We conquered!  Black Friday shopping at 12 AM,  It is all about the rush I get when I think I am getting a really good deal.  It is becoming a tradition that My sister Michele and I attend "Black Friday" together.  I am a true "Door Buster", I kind of think she feels sorry for me because she knows I would go alone.  I am grateful for her company, we have the best time standing in those long lines together.  It feels so good to put check marks on my Christmas Shopping List!  So, who else didn't get any sleep Friday morning, and what good deals did you find?! 

"Thanksgiving 2008"

We are so thankful for...

Rob- Family, good health, work, the gospel and for democracy! 

Rachel- All the little things in life that make me laugh, Knowing the end from the beginning and for always feeling the love from my whole family!

R.J.- Spending time with our family and for playing football with my cousins today!

Madison- Having food 

because so many people go with out it.  Seeing family that I don't get to be with everyday.

Payton- Being with my Grandma and Grandpa and cousins.  I am so thankful for our Thanksgiving Turkey!

We had another memorable Thanksgiving filled with lots of fun, food and family! 

We are so 

"Thankful" for this time that really 

allows us to think about what really matters to us in 

our busy and sometimes chaotic lives.  "Grateful" for lots of brothers and sisters to spend time

laughing and reminiscing with.  "Happy" for

 a mom who passes down a (6 generation old) stuffing recipe and has the patience to

 teach my Madison how to make it.  "Pleased" to have a 

husband who loves to cook and gets excited when he brines a 

Turkey.  "Blessed" to have a daddy who gives long speeches before Dinner and makes sure to tell us

all the things he is Thankful for in the last year!  "Lucky" to belong to this great family that makes spending time together a treat and not a chore!  "Fortunate" to wake up to my life everyday and share it with Rob, R.J., Madison and Payton.

"Sweet Revenge"

(R.J. babysitting at the Timmerman's)

It all started with this picture and Post , which led to this Post. We warned the Timmermans we would get them back, and that day finally came. 

These two nameless and faceless BYU accomplices helped me do the job. After coming home from "Twilight" and sleeping for an hour, at 4:30 AM we did the deed. Our friends and neighbors the Timmermans are HUGE University of Utah fans. And we couldn't resist paying 

them back when it was time for our rivals to meet on the field! They were actually leaving the next morning for Utah to go to the game (I think they used Thanksgiving 

as an excuse to go!) So, when they walked outside to leave, a decorated car and signs welcomed them. We even left them a "Traveling Care Package" for the long drive to Utah. It consisted of: "BYU Blue" Tortilla Chips, "BYU Blue" Berry Muffins, "BYU

Blue" Gatorade, "BYU Blue" Gum, and "BYU Blue" Berries. This payback would have been perfect if only BYU had won.

We are never going to hear the end of it! I am little scared for them to return home. You better watch it Timmermans, we are going to sleep with one eye open!

"Twilight at Midnight!"

I braved the cold weather and long lines with a lot of other excited women late last night and into the early morning. A group of my friends and I went to see the midnight showing of the long anticipated movie "Twilight". Half the fun was standing in line with strangers, by the time our line was ready to enter the theater we were sharing doughnuts and cake with them. We got some really good seats due to being in line so early (yes, I am THAT girl!) Good thing for Red Bull, by the time we were seated in the theater my age was taking over and I was loosing most of my energy. But, when the theater workers started playing "Twilight Trivia" I was energized again. The movie itself stayed true to the book, very cheesy and awkward at times but, great! I even laughed out loud because of the acting but, I still really enjoyed it. I am hoping with the success of Twilight, the future movies will be able to have a bigger budget and better special effects. This trilogy has a lot of potential to get better and better. I really enjoyed my time feeling like a young teenager, staying out way past my curfew, acting silly with my girlfriends, and "oooohhhing and aaaahhhing" over a boy in a movie! But, it was nice to go home and get into bed and snuggle up next to the "real" boy who makes my heart go pitter patter! I think I am getting too old for midnight showings, I am paying for it today!

"Good Girls"

Our two girls were both honored at their Awards Assembly at school! Madison has made the Honor Roll. That was one of her goals she set for herself at the beginning of the school year. She is so happy and proud she can now mark that off her list. And Payton was the "Student of the Week" for the first time since starting school this year. The character trait she demonstrated was "Respect". She has been looking forward to being called up in front of the whole school to get her Pencil and Certificate. We're so pleased that both our daughters always try their best in school and at home!

"Last "Summer" Vacation"

We had to fit in one more "Summer" type of vacation before the winter came. San Diego is having a very hard time changing seasons this year. Here it is the fall and all I feel is summer climate. So, for this Veteran's Day vacation we took off with the Cliffords to Palm Springs to soak up the last bit of sun. We stayed at the Hyatt Grand Champions for the first time and the kids really enjoyed it. I think the water slide had a lot to do with that. While the kids swam all day, the adults lounged all day. What could be better than that. After this trip I am REALLY ready for winter. It was 90 degrees yesterday, I want to start wearing sweaters and jeans again. I want to get into the holiday spirit, but it is hard with this heat! I am really excited to going to Utah for the holidays, finally a White Christmas!!! Come on San Diego, cool down (I can't believe I am wishing for gray skys)!

"Karma"

(Allison in the Hospital getting her heart checked!)

I was "Tagged" by Allison for a picture tag.  The directions were to go to your fourth picture file and pick the fourth picture in it and post it no matter what it is.  On her picture tag, her fourth picture file and fourth picture "happened" to be not the best  picture of Rob in Cabo San Lucas when we were on a trip together.  Needless to say, Rob made her take it down!  I promise this picture is not PAYBACK!!!  I really followed the directions.  I can't help it if her name begins with an "A".  And my "Allison in the Hospital" is my fourth file.  (I did ask her permission before I posted it).  You know what they say about Karma..."What comes around, goes around!" 

"Happy 50th Anniversary"

My parents made it to the "Golden Year", they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary! No two other people deserved it more than them. They have been so in love since the day they got married at age 18. And they have stayed happily married even after raising 7 very different, rambunctious, rowdy children. I owe my own happy marriage to them. I learned well from their example and how they treated each other everyday growing up in my house. I am a better parent because of how they raised me. I am a good wife because I wanted to be just like my mom. I chose to marry a man who had the same principles, standards, values and who knew how to treat his future wife and children just like my dad! In my parent's home, I don't even recall them ever using each other's first names, it was always "Dear" that came from their mouths when they called or talked to each other. So, in honor of them on their special day we had to PARTY to say thanks for such a wonderful marriage that we all can try to create!!!! It was a big bash of about 120 family members. The grand kids all performed a special surprise number for them. R.J. read short essay, "Why I love Grandma & Grandpa, the girls danced a ballet, Madison read a poem she wrote for them and Payton read some special thoughts she wrote down for them. A video that included pictures of them through the years was also shown. My nephew even put together a huge Pedigree Chart for my parents because they love their genealogy. Then, for the grand finale all my sisters and I performed the song, "We are Family" with the help of the audience of course! It was such a great night to honor my parents and to let them know how many lives they have touched and influenced! We love you mom and dad!