The Perfect Holiday -

Holiday Weekend Highlights

Thanksgiving!!!

I love this holiday! Family, Food, Fun, and NO GIFTS!!
Everyone is happy. No one is disappointed.
It is the PERFECT HOLIDAY!!

We had Aaron's mom, Janice, her husband, Hans, Aaron's Grandpa Hollis, my dad and Roe, and my sister Ash and Robert. It was so nice. We all ate ourselves silly then watched a little football, Planes, Trains, & Automobiles (a must), and enjoyed each others company. The night ended with a visit from Aaron's aunt & uncle, Jeanette and Marty.
Like I said - Food, Family, Fun = Perfect!

Friday, Aaron took everyone (except Kenzie & I) to his aunt's home(s).
Kenz & I spent the entire day DECORATING!!!
Christmas arrived at our house!

Saturday was the BLUE & RED Party!!!
The Holy War... BYU vs. Utah... Whatever you want to call it! I call it another excuse to have a party!! Once again - Food, Family, Fun, and a little Trash Talking!! I think we have Hans hooked on football... (wink wink). In the end the Blue got robbed and the Red came out ON TOP!!

GO UTAH!!!Jeanette and Marty came by at the end of the game. I was thrilled - it gave me an opportunity to take some much needed family pictures.

Sunday began with SNOW...

We drove downtown on roads that had NOT been plowed (Manda, you can feel my pain, right?) to Temple Square for the Spoken Word -. I have lived in SLC my entire life and have NEVER been to a taping of the Spoken Word... crazy! I LOVED it! It was such a great way to start the Christmas holiday season. Absolutely Beautiful (even with lots of snow...)

We took photos outside in the falling snow ...
Then walked across the street - literally, across the street - to Jeanette and Marty's home. We enjoyed breakfast and the view - it was heavenly...After lots of hugs and pictures... our holiday weekend has come to an end.
It couldn't have been better~
Food (lots of it), Family (dear to our hearts),
and Fun (enough to make even the little ones happy).
Thank You Hollis, Janice, and Hans for making the trip to Utah to spend the weekend with us. We were so happy you came.
It was the PERFECT HOLIDAY weekend!!

Two Random Thoughts... Very Random

VERY random stuff I thought I would share.

First : I was visiting teaching last month and the lady I visit teach told me about this Clothing Warehouse. She told me it had a lot of name brand clothing/shoes but for a VERY discounted price. I don't care much about name brands but the word "discounted" makes me happy. I decided to try it out. Kenzie, Aaron and I scored. If you have some Christmas shopping to do... it is worth a quick trip!

Fashion Corner
(801) 619-2187
12577 S 265 W
Draper, UT 84020

Second : I am a proud aunt of a sweet little 7 year old! My sister Manda hates attention. She is a little shy and very humble. But she has a darling little girl who did something pretty amazing!! For her 7th birthday she decided to donate all of her gifts to the Peyton Manning Childrens Hospital. She came up with the idea all by herself. A few people in the media learned about it and she has been recognized on TV as well as in the newspaper. I thought I would share the article. To read it click here : newspaper

Way to Go Jane!!

Like I said - VERY RANDOM!!

Not a lot going on around here. Just getting ready for the holidays.

Thanksgiving is my very FAVORITE!!!

Can't Wait!

Mackay Turns 9

Sunday night or Monday morning - 2001 - just after midnight. I walked in to Magee's Women's Hospital in downtown Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. My ob/gyn felt that babies should come when it is convenient for the parents. I chose November 12, 2001 to have my baby.

After a loooooooooooong morning with little progress (a lot of pain but little progress), I decided to get the epidural and then get some rest. It was a good time for Aaron to go get lunch with his good friend Jeff Hanzon. His darling wife, Alyssa, was playing the role of "mother" to my 5 yr-old Mackenzie. I planned to drift off to sleep.

Aaron left. I closed my eyes. The rhythm of my baby's heartbeat sort of calmed me as I tried to drift off into dreamland. Then that rhythm stopped, then started, and then stopped again. My nurses hurled back into the room. My doctor followed. "It was time to deliver that baby".
Luckily Aaron ate fast and made it just in time.

Mackay Ryan Hall arrived at 1:19 pm. If you ask me to name ONE thing about Mackay - One personality trait, One characteristic, One way to describe my little boy ... I will always say ... "He has an amazing HEART". His heart made a big difference that morning/afternoon. His heart continues to make a difference in the lives of those around him.

He is a kind, warm, loving little boy with a Huge Heart!! I love you so much and am so grateful I get to be your mom.

Happy Birthday Mackay!!

Oh My Gosh... We Got Josh!

Oh My Gosh... We got Josh!!
He came into our family today!!
What do we do??? With you???
Who'd ever thought a boy would come our way??

Happy Birthday to Joshie!!!!!!

We LOVE You!!!

One of THOSE Days...

Today I just miss her...

Do You Give Your Children Choices???

Do you still give your children CHOICES if you know they aren't going to make the right one?? Today, I am not really thrilled with the whole Free Agency thing.

Mackay is having his birthday party this week. We are struggling with his invitation list. His list and my list is very different. Maybe I should have never given him the choice???

Kenzie wanted BANGS. I said "Sure!" I even got my purse and went to Super Cuts right at that moment. I think she would look cute with bangs. As we drove to Super Cuts she asked if she could dye her hair "dark". At first I said - NO. I explained my concerns and how I felt about it. She continued to beg and then she said "she had her own money and would pay for it herself". When we got to Super Cuts I told the lady that I was paying for a trim and bangs. I asked how much it would cost to dye her hair. $45.00. Kenzie had $26.00. Phew... Dodged that one.

After her haircut, I dropped her off at her friends. She then called me and told me she was at Walgreens in the hair dye aisle. She asked if she could buy it herself - it was her hair, you know (spoken with a little teenager attitude). I answered her with "You know my feelings. I won't pay for it. So it is YOUR money and YOUR hair and now it is YOUR choice." This video of her singing is how she came home last night.

Again - I am not a fan of FREE AGENCY. If we didn't have it, then Mackay would be inviting everyone on MY list and Kenzie's hair would not be red or purple or auburn or whatever color it is. Choices are for the birds!! She sure sings pretty though....

Rainbow Connection

Kenzie records herself (usually in the middle of the night).
She doesn't ask us to watch them.
She just tucks them away...
UNTIL...
her mother finds them and puts them on her blog!!

I wish she would show them to me.
I love to listen to her.
Yes, I am her mother, but I think her voice is so fun to listen to.
She refuses to take singing lessons... too nervous... but I love her country-twang style.
Such a Cutie!!

I Need Your Help!!! Please!!

I need your HELP!!

Debbie, Alyssa, Jenn, Ash, Manda, ANYONE!!!

I usually am so good about sorting the Laundry.
Whites with Whites (lite pink is okay too) and Darks with Darks.

Mackay had to wear his WHITE football jersery (you know the kind with BLACK numbers on it) to football practice tonight and got it dirty (obviously, it's tackle football).
They have pictures tomorrow in WHITE jerseys.

Kenzie recently DYED a shirt dark orange for her M&M Costume for Halloween.

I didn't have very many clothes to make a big load
so I threw most of the clothes that looked "safe" in the load.

I MISSED THE DYED SHIRT!!!!

Mackay's White Football Jersey is PINK!!!!

HELP!!!!!!

If I rewash the load in HOT and add bleach,
will the numbers and collar turn brown??

What should I do???

I have until 3:00 tomorrow to fix this problem.
Any ideas would be so helpful!!!
Please!! Thank You!!