Go to the country music awards...check

For so long I have wanted to go to the CMA's...now I can check that one off my list! Nashville was so much fun. Here are a few pics from the trip...

Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood opening the show

Reba and Brooks & DunnKenney Chesney George Strait...he's gettin old but dang he's hot still!Kid Rock...is it weird that there is something I find sexy about him?Taylor SwiftMy boys Rascal Flatts...I'm sure they still talk about the time they got to meet me Martina McBride Our view from the cheap seats!The only time you can see people in formal gowns and Nascar gear all together in the same place!Martina McBride's red carpet arrivalKid Rock's arrivalthe day before the show when they were rollin out the red carpet in front of the country music hall of fame on the tour bus with my new hat and cute sis in law Nashville night lifeyep I'm a tourist our favorite bbq place we found called "Jack's" coming in on the plane...Nashville is so pretty...I will for sure go back somedayKatie and Sally have better pictures that I will try to get...my ghetto camera doesn't do the best job. It was a super fun few days...thanks Randy (and Aunt Jen and Grandma Judi) for taking care of the kids so I could go and have a much needed break. And of course, none of this would have happened without Sally and her never ending good luck (she won this trip). Thanks Sal!

Short and Sweet

Melanie was driving from Texas to Montanna...and stopped in Utah for a little visit. I was with her for less than 24 hours...but that's ok, we will take what we can get! Jack was excited for the girls to come. We of course had to go to Cafe Rio, and then we just layed around the house and let the kids play (the girls were happy to be running around...they had been in the car for two days). Thanks for the visit Mel!

...and now for my next trick

I promise she was only out of my sight for a minute.

The Daily Jack

Jack has been known to talk in his sleep...gets it from his dad (who one night while he was sleeping told me there was a rat in the corner of our room with fire in its eyes). Jack was asleep in the car and this is what I hear:
"Mom, you wanna piece of me?"
I look back...eyes closed, totally asleep...

Another little funny...we were talking about what everyone at his school was dressed up as for Halloween and he said "Jackson's mom was dressed like a hot witch"...nice.

Leave your mark.

No matter which way the vote goes tonight, history will be made. This is an election that my kids will learn about in school...so cool to be a part of it.

{Halloween Happenings}

Gardner Village Pre-school parade and program

Lunch with cousin Maycee

Pumpkin carvingTrick or Treat

And Jack's favorite thing he got all weekend...

The Daily Jack

(this was said after I got mad at him for something)

Jack: I'm gonna call the cops and say "Hey cops there's a mean mommy here" and they will come and take you to jail.

To Katie on her birthday...

A list of things that you are:
Funny
Smart
Beautiful
Kind hearted
Stylish
Friendly
Sensitive

And a list of things you are not:
Graceful


Happy Birthday little sis! Thank you for being just an all around great person. You are adored by your niece and nephew...and I kinda like you too! We love you Binks!

The great outdoors

This is what I love about where I live...you can drive 10 minutes in any direction, and feel like you are out of the city. We had a little family night hot dog roast this week at a camp site by our house. The kids loved it, and it was so nice to have Randy to ourselves for the night (he has been working so hard and has been gone a lot).

helping daddy find sticks for the fire

boys getting the fire started

mom and halle

cute kidscupcakes for dessert (and we wonder why halle is so "sturdy"...look at the way she is shoving that thing in her mouth!)

For the love of the twins...

My Grandma was just diagnosed with breast cancer. With October being breast cancer awareness month, I wanted to post these early signs of breast cancer for all you women that I love:
*Any new, hard lump or thickening in any part of the breast
*Change in breast size or shape
*Dimpling or puckering of the skin
*Swelling, redness or warmth that does not go away
*Pain in one spot that does not vary with your monthly cycle
*Pulling in of the nipple
*Nipple discharge that starts suddenly and appears only in one breast
*An itchy, sore or scaling area on one nipple

For so long I have thought "Wow we have sure dodged the cancer bullet"...this is the first time it has shown up anywhere in my family. My Grandma is tough, with a fiesty spirit, so I know she will get through this. It just has hit me hard, knowing that the answer to the question "Do you have a history of cancer in your family?" is now forever changed.

{Four Generations}

The Daily Jack

My friend does a post called The Daily Violet, where she writes funny stuff that her little girl says. I love reading hers, and thought it was a good idea to remember all the funny stuff kids say. So here is my first Daily Jack:

Jack climbed in bed with me yesterday morning, and this was the conversation:
Jack: Mom what's that smell?
Me: What smell?
Jack: In your mouth.
Me: Uh, that's called morning breath.
Jack: Eew.

Happy Birthday Mama

Happy birthday to the best of the best. When I became a mom, I understood better the love that my own mom has for me, and I am thankful for her every day. Now that I am all grown up (well sorta) I choose to be around her because she is my friend, not just my mom. I hope my own kids can say the same thing about me when I am super old like my mom :)

{above: girls night out birthday dinner below: grandma, maycee jane & halle}

Happy Birthday Mom! You are loved...

Just because...

Anyone can be a father, but it takes a lot to be a daddy

Happy Birthday to {Him}

{He} is a great husband, and now an even greater daddy. It has been fun watching him with Maycee...he has two lucky gals in his life now. {He} has a huge heart, and would do anything for anyone. {He} is super funny, sarcastic, I love it. {He} loves my kids. {He} is a hard worker and has made many sacrifices to take care of his family. {He} is a year older today and we hope he knows how much we love him!

{Picture taken tonight at dinner at Pei Wei for Uncle K.C.'s birthday}