A WaLk On ThE WiLd SiDe

Today we got Aunt Jo Jo to watch the boys Packed up the swimming suit & we headed for the FLOWRIDER.

(Well Jer did anyway).

A friend of Jers Chad and a bunch of his friends rented a 1 hour session & invited Jer to come along,  so we went.

It is so much fun watching everyone try not to eat it.

For those of you who may not know what Flowrider is I'll do my best to explain.

It's an indoor type pool thing that you can surf (or try to surf) or body board on.

I'm not a very good explainer so I'll show you some pictures.

Here is my Jer Sorta doing it....

Kristen doing it....

Chad doing it....
And the little ones doing it...

Here is a picture of most of the crew...

And after we went out for PIZZA!!!

It was a lot of fun watching everyone try to surf and wipe out.

I think next time I'm gonna try it.

CaR FoR SaLe

This might seem like an unusual post & maybe it is but, well I suppose I am a little unusual.

Today my Aunt Jeanie (She is so stinkin cute I just LOVE her to death, I'll Post about her for you all one of these days.) anyway she brought her BMW out to my house for me to help her sell.

I live on a main road and get alot of traffic coming & going so my house is a good place to sell cars, trucks, boats, tires & have garage sales all of which have been done or sold here.

So I told her to bring it on out, MAN I wish I could afford it it's a BEAUTIFUL car.

The reason I'm telling you about it is....well if you know anyone looking have them contact me.

It's Black with black leather interior, brand new tires, sunroof, DVD, 5 speed manual transmission, it gets good gas mileage & I would LOVE to have it.

But I have a car, a truck & an expedition already so I can't have it.

But if you would like it or know anyone who would have them contact me.

It's a 2004 & they're asking $17,900.

(Come on Bonnie imagine the fun we could have in this car!!!)

Chocolate Caramel Brownies

Ok I HAVE to share this recipe with all you chocolate & Brownie lovers like myself.

This is the best brownie recipe ever (at least I think so).

This is what you'll need...

* 2 German chocolate cake mixes

(any chocolate mix will do but I personally think the german tastes the best)

* 1 can evaporated milk

* 2 squares of Butter (Not marg.)

* 1 pkg caramels (about 50 caramels)

* 1 pkg milk chocolate chips

(If you like semi then use them I'm a milk chocolate girl though)

In a mixing bowl add 1 cake mix, 1 sq melted butter, & 1/3 cup milk.

Pat into the bottom of a jelly roll pan & bake 6 mins. @ 350 degrees.

(I love my Pampered Chef stone for these brownies)

While baking.

Mix caramels & 1/3 cup of milk in a microwavable dish on high for about 1 min to 1 1/2 mins.  Mix together with wire whisk until creamy.

When the 6 mins. is up take out of oven & pour entire pkg. of chocolate chips over the top.

(If your wondering why some of my chips are darker than others it's because sometimes I like to add about a half bag of mint chips along with the full bag of chips).

Then pour the caramel mixture over the top of the chocolate chips.

Then take mixing bowl add the other cake mix, 1 sq. melted butter, and 1/3 cup of milk together.

Sprinkle this over the top of the caramel & chocolate chips.

 Bake 18 mins @ 350 degrees.

This is what they look like when they're done.

Don't bake longer than 18 mins they will be really gooey and warm.

Wait until they have cooled completley before cutting & eating.

They set up as they cool and are better that way.

I hope you all enjoy them as much as I do.

Your hips and bottom will thank you, mine always do!!!

Sweetest Husband

Look what my Sweet Husband did.......
Last night I went to my nail apt while he played with his boys.

While they were playing in the backyard my Sweet husband noticed the roses were blooming so he & the boys cut some and brought them in & made this arrangement for me.

It was the 1st thing I noticed when I walked in (that & 2 little boys running to see there mamma) I love both sights.

He can be so very Sweet to me I really don't deserve him at all, but I really hope he keeps me!

Meet My Brothers!!!

I would like to introduce you all to my 3 younger brothers....

Shane, Brett & Brandon.

They worked really hard on this introduction so please be kind & hold all applause until the end of there performance.

Thank You Management (ME).

Don't send a lame eCard.
Try JibJab Sendables!

I know your all jealous that I have such AMAZINGLY Talented & Handsome Brothers!!!

Wanna new House?

Tiffany & Heather over at The Secret is in the Sauce

Are doing a Six weeks of Summer contest!!!

YOU have a chance to win this Amazing new House!!!

Ok I know what your thinking "My kids would have more fun in it than you would"

Not true for me I'd LOVE this house it would entertain my boy's for hours & hours, even my 2 older kids would have a blast in it.

Ok I'll admit it I to would have a blast in it with them & watching them, & imagine all the pictures you could take of them playing & having a great time.

So if you want a chance to win this Awesome new house then hurry on over to SITS and roll call for a chance to win!!!

EVEN all of you who are not a part of SITS yet go check it out You know who you are!!!

I'm sad for anyone who isn't affiliated with these two wonderful women & there wonderful blogs The Secret IS in the Sauce!!!

THEY HAVE WHAT?

Since we've been back from Powell the boys have had a little rash Keltons on his upper left arm underneath and on his little stomach (under said arm) his is pretty much gone now but Gage has one pretty much only on the lower half of his body little red bumps almost like baby acne without the little whitehead.  It started on his little bottom and moved down to his legs & feet.

His is completely different than Keltons.

I've been watching them to see if they change, you know better or worse.

Well this is what my little Gage's feet & hands looked like today.

I took them to the Dr. today & Gage has Hand Foot & Mouth Disease.

Poor little guy.

I have no idea where he picked it up or how he got it.

It's viral so there is nothing you can do for it,it just has to run it's course.

From what I understand it's going around right now.

My 2 older kids never got this & I'm hoping Kelton won't get it (ya right they share everything) I guess time will tell.

The blisters on his feet look so bad they dont seem to bother him though he's still running around everywhere making messes.

Here's a pic I pulled off the computer when I was researching you can see the blisters better.

I don't know if you can see the blisters on my pics or not but they really suck poor little guy.

Anyway have any of you ever had to deal with this?

I would love some feed back thanks!

For now were quarantined to the house so we don't give it to others.

To my 2 very special sisters.

I found this video on Leeann's blog.

It had me crying within the first few seconds.

I would like to dedicate it to my 2 very special sisters Meagan & Nikki.

I can't even begin to know what they have both been through in there lives but I am very proud of the amazing women that they both are.

Meagan placed her sweet little angel boy with LDS Family Services

when she was just 16 years old, I didn't know her then but I have read her story about her pregnancy & placement & I cried the entire story.

Anyone who can be so UNSELFISH as to give a child a better life than they know they can give that child themselves is AMAZING to me.

She knew she could love her little boy and give him the basics, but she wanted him to have  more than that.  

She wanted him to have a Family with a  mom & a dad.

So she placed him with an amazing family that loves & cherishes him as much as she does. 

My sweet sister Nikki is on the other end of the spectrum her & my brother have been trying to conceive for a few years now with surgeries and meds & no luck.

They both discussed wanting to adopt someday before they were married and they decided that it was time a few months ago.

They also went through LDS Family Services to do there adoption.

They have done all the steps I believe that are necessary & they just finished there in depth interviews on monday 1 hour each separate & 1 hour together.

I believe there profile can now be posted for mothers to look at.

Our family is so excited for them, they really are the best & any mother who chooses them is very lucky there child will be loved by many.

We just can't wait until that time comes.

Meagan & Nikki are both amazing women to me & I am proud to call them both my sisters!  I Love you Both very much!

America's Got Talent in a 4 year old little Angel.

vI don't know how many of you watched the season premier of America's Got Talent tonight?

I watched because I couldn't find anything better on & boy am I glad I did!

This little 4 year old Sweetheart stole the show in my opinion (Not that mine matters at all).

She was so cute & sweet she brought tears to my eyes.

And when she ran to her Dad & he told her how proud he was of her they poured out & down my cheeks.  (It doesn't take much to make me cry anymore)

Anyways IF you missed her here she is in all her glory, Just adorable!!!

I'm definitely watching & voting for her this season.

Watch & Enjoy the innocence of this sweet child.

GiRlS NiGhT OuT!!!

It's been a few days since I posted (Sorry) I've been a little crazy and really tired to many late nights working on my Dads Fathers Day Video (But it was worth it!).

Anyways here is what has been going on with me...

Friday night we did a Surprise Birthday Party for my adopted daughter Kami at my sister's house we had so much fun!!!

We had a bunch of girls, me, my sister & of course my Mom.

We did a little hot dog roasting, smores, silly string & of course a Cake Fight!!!

What that's not normal at your house?

I don't think it's possible for my daughter & my sister Nikki to eat cake.

Nikki claims it doesn't go to your hips that way, I'm thinking she's right!

We had a good time just hanging out and being Stupid.

Here is a slide show of some of the FUN!

Peanut Butter Corn Flake Cookies

My daughter & some of her friends were over a couple of nights ago & like us women are our conversation turned into one of food and good recipes.

My daughter was telling her friends about a cookie that my mom & I make & her friends had never heard of or had it.

I thought this was weird because I grew up on them & so did my husband, I thought everyones mom made them.

I made some tonight for a surprise party for my adopted daughter Kami's surprise sleepover birthday party.

I'll Blog about that tomorrow or sunday it should be a lot of fun!!!

Any way I thought I would share this REALLY REALLY easy recipe with all of you who may not have it.  Those who do maybe this will make you want to go make some.

Here are the ingredients......

I'm a Western Family nut (Can you tell?)

I used to work at Associated Foods Warehouse in Farr West, UT.

While working there I learned among other things that

most all of the Western Family brand food is a name brand packaged in Western Family.

Not all but a lot.  But that is another post.

Pretty simple ingredients

1 cup Karo (light) Syrup

1 cup Brown Sugar

1 cup Peanut Butter (Creamy or Chunky)

6 cups Corn Flakes.

1. On stove bring to a boil the Karo Syrup & Brown sugar

2. Stir in Peanut Butter until creamy

(Make sure that you have a REALLY CUTE assistant

I'm sure you all have one or more of them around)

3. take off of heat & stir in Corn Flakes

4. Drop by teaspoon on parchment paper & let cool

5. ENJOY!!!

Lake Powell Vacation

I'm back & I survived Lake Powell with my one year olds!!!

OK I have to admit it really wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.
The Boy's were little troupers.

The 1st day was the worst, we (the husband & I) had the idea that if we drove at night the boy's would sleep most of the way.
So I put them in there pj's and we left around 8:00 p.m.
The boy's were pretty good most of the drive but they sure didn't want to sleep (goes back to the whole have to sleep in there own beds thing).

Anyways we got there without any problems other than the occasional baby crying to let us know that he was still there & STILL trapped in his car seat, and the occasional how much longer from the 13 & 16 year old.
Oh and the really bad karaoke singing to Bon Jovi of course by me.
Can I just tell you how much I LOVE my ipod!!! Especially when it's 2:00 in the morning & your trying to stay awake & you can't get any radio stations. I'm not so sure that my Family loves it so much though.
I can really get into my Bon Jovi (which my explain the cries from the boy's, what i thought were cries to get out of there seats were probably cries of pain that there ears were hurting HUM a thought anyway).

We made it to Bullfrog around 3:00 in the morning all of us exhausted, the boy's FINALLY asleep & what has to happen?
Yep!!! We have to get them out of there seats and down to the boat WITHOUT them waking up. YA RIGHT!!!
They were up and ready to play it took about another 45 mins to get them to lay down long enough to go to sleep.
So the 1st full day on the boat was not so good because MOM was tired, DAD was tired & 2 little boy's were tired.

The rest of the trip went very well, we went out on the boats a few times watched dad, uncle Jason & aunt Jen wake board, played in the sand, chased lizards (& Kids, lots & lots of kids there were 15 kids on the house boat total) went swimming which the boy's couldn't really decide if they really liked or not they wouldn't stay in the water for very long.
we hung out & had a good time. 

The boy's took naps regularly & slept all night long I was really surprised at how good they were.

I did not get sunburned =) I paced myself. (Besides who has time to lay out with two 1 year olds running a Muck?)
I would have liked to get a little more sun but I guess that's why there's tanning beds.

It was nice to get away but it didn't really feel like a vacation to me, it's ALOT easier to chase the boy's around & keep them entertained at home but it was fun.
I'm deathly afraid of the water (Water that I can't see the bottom) so It really wasn't my idea of a vacation but it's what my husband really loves & it's tradition in his family to go once or twice a year.
My kids have been for the last 3 years but this was my 1st time.
By the way I'm STILL afraid of the water!!!

Here is a slide show I put together of our time there. ENJOY!

I'm off to Lake Powell with two one year olds.

Wish me luck & say many prayers.

I'll be back monday night.

I'll miss all my blogger friends!

In Memory of Steve.

This post is in memory of my late husband Steve Williams.

Feb 25, 1970 ~ June 2, 2004

(I know It's a few days late)

A little background info for all of those that don't know me very well (Yet).

Steve & I went to Jr. High & High School together, but we hung with completely different crowds.

He was the school jock and well, if you've read my blog you saw what I looked like in High School.

There was no way that we ever would have dated!  Not even a thought in my head, in fact if you would have told me back then that we would end up dating & getting married I would have told you to have your head examined.

Well after I divorced my kids dad (Joby) I was at work (Anderson Lumber) and one of my old friends dad came in to purchase some stuff.

Apparently he thought I looked better now (1998) than I did in High School (Which was true)

so he went home & told his son who was also divorced at the time.

I was a little to cowgirl for him but he thought I would be perfect for his good old friend Steve.

So he told Steve about me & he decided to come in & check me out (at work).

I guess he liked what he saw because he came in about 5 or 6 times more within about 2 weeks (mind you he had never been in the store before this).

I kinda thought he was coming in to see me because he would come in for stupid stuff like a can of spray paint or some nuts & bolts etc. & he would always make sure that if I wasn't at my register that he would come find me with a work related ? of some sort.

But I didn't want to get my hopes up and really what would a guy like him find appealing about me anyways.

My girlfriends at work were on me all the time to give him my phone # because they were certain the only reason he was coming in was to see me.

So after much prodding by the girls I finally got brave enough.

I wrote down my phone numbers on a piece of paper & on the bottom I wrote:

If your interested.

If not then just throw this away.

The next time he came in I gave him the paper with his receipt.

He asked me what it was & I told him to just look at it after he left.

Well that night I got a call, we talked on the phone forever until he had to go to work.

But he asked me out for that friday night.

Well long story short we went out & were inseparable ever since.

Steve's mom, Steve, Me & his uncle Bob.

We got married on March 11, 2000

in good old Las Vegas.

We were there for one of his softball tournament's 

so we figured while we were there we might as well just get married.

He didn't want a big wedding thing, we had both been married before so Vegas seemed logical.

We were married for about a year & 4 months when Steve was diagnosed with Cancer.

Non Hodgkin's Type B Lymphoma.

This was a very big shock to us both, BUT to Steve it was ok he'd beat it & he wasn't worried.

At least he never let me see that he was worried.

Until the very last second of his life he wasn't going to die as far as he was concerned.

He went through a few bone marrow biopsy's, a few different kinds of Chemo CHOP & RICE & also Radiation.

The tumor in his chest just wouldn't shrink small enough for him to get a Bone Marrow Transplant.   

The Chemo only proved to be a kind of wall that would hold the cancer at bay.

Every time they stopped it for any amount of time the tumor would continue to grow at a very rapid speed.

He was an amazing fighter, he never really got very sick most of the time you wouldn't even know that he had cancer he went to work everyday, played softball 2 nights a week & usually all weekend long in tournaments.

He was living & he wasn't going to die.

Steve & his Daughter Gracie.

Steve & my kids Courtnie & Cody.

We spent a lot of time at the Doctors office, Hospitals, the U, & the Huntsman's Cancer Institute.

Steve did really well up until about the last 6 months of his life.

Then he started to go down hill, he had to have oxygen 24 hours a day to help him breath, he had to have all kinds of meds, I had to give him different shots (Did I mention that I'm DEATHLY AFRAID of NEEDLES?) He couldn't get himself dressed or undressed, he couldn't sleep for very long periods of time, his appetite was pretty much gone.

And did I mention that he was really really onry and mean to everyone?

I know that it was the cancer & not him but I'll tell you I NEVER want to go through that again.

My heart broke for him & his pain that I knew he had but he would never admit.

He was a very proud man.

Steve lost his battle at home on June 2nd 2004.

It was not a fun night & one that I will never forget, My little family's pain with cancer was over but the pain of loosing someone that you love was just beginning.

We have survived but Steve will always be apart for our lives.

He taught me a lot about Life & what's important, he taught me to Always fight no matter the odds or what people say & to never give in or give up.

I am a Stronger Woman because of him & what we went through together.

What Cancer Cannot Do!

Cancer is so limited.

It Cannot cripple love.

It Cannot Shatter hope.

It Cannot corrode hope.

It Cannot eat way peace.

It Cannot destroy confidence.

It Cannot kill friendships.

It Cannot shut out memories.

It Cannot silence courage.

It Cannot invade the soul.

It Cannot reduce eternal life.

It Cannot quench the spirit.

It Cannot lesson the power of the resurrection.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

God watched you as you suffered &

He knew you'd had your share.

He gently closed your weary eyes

& took you in his care.

God has you in his keeping

we have you in our hearts.

Your memory is our keepsake

with that we'll never part.

God saw you getting tired 

& a cure was not to be.

So he put his arms around you

& whispered, "Come with me."

With tearful eyes we watched

As you suffered & faded away.

Although we loved you dearly

We could not make you stay.

A golden heart stopped beating

Hard working hands to rest.

God broke our hearts to prove to us

He only takes the best.

"Always to remember never to forget."

Awesome Blog & Contest.

I was doing some blog surfing (as usual) & I was on Tausha's blog (The Hoyts House)

 she had a fun post about this contest.

I think you all need to go and check it out, it's that good!

And if you win I think you need to remember me, the one that told you about it!

Go HERE to check it out!!!

Are you still here reading?

I said go HERE to check it out!  HURRY!!!

I made you cry with the little bagger video.

Now I'll make you LAUGH.

Little kids are the funniest to me.

I've seen this video so many times & I never get sick of it..

I still laugh my head off every time I see it.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Buhlud