My Kokomo

Party Like a RockStar!

2010-05-03T10:56:00.000-07:00

Today is Kennedy's 6th Birthday. I can't believe my little girl is 6!!! It brings a tear to my eye knowing that she is my last and that she's no longer my "baby". The amount they change between the ages of 5 and 6 are dramatic. She goes to school and is a big girl now. She's out-grown Dora the Explorer. She has grown-up conversations with me and is learning to read. I have to hold on to the little things I guess. Like the fact that she still has a hard time saying her R's. I love that. And she will still snuggle up with me under Mr. Blankie. Last Saturday we had her birthday party with a few friends. This is the first party I have thrown for her so she was way overdue for one. We decided on a Rock Star/Club Libby Lu theme. It was so much fun! Here are some shots of the grand day.

Her invite that looked like a VIP/Backstage Pass - with a lanyard and all.

The Bouncers. You don't wanna mess with them!

It was a little wet (surprise surprise) so we had to put the Red Carpet inside.

It was nice to have the older kids there to help out.

Cameron did the music, the craft, the fog machine,

the video, the Freeze Dance game and so much more!

Cassidy and her friend Hannah were the bouncers, the

fashion consultants, and the manicurists.

The Roadie.

The goodie bag full of sunglasses, a microphone, candy, lip gloss,

and a mix CD of Hannah Montana, Justin Bieber, and Taylor Swift

songs among others.

Of course we had to have a little sparkle and pazazz. They had matching silver sequin costumes that sparkled on stage. We also added glitter

eye shadow and lip gloss along with a Rock Star hairstyle.

The Birthday Girl herself all rocked out.

Matt took some Before and After shots of the girls. So cute!

And we can't forget the Paparazzi.

These girls really knew how to ROCK IT. They had no problems letting

loose on the stage. I enjoyed every minute of it! I think we should

have an adult version of that party! Rock on!!

Birthday Surprise

2010-02-05T12:56:00.000-08:00

Last week I had my 35th birthday and just as most birthdays come and go almost unnoticed, I thought this one would too. To my surprise this was not the case this year. First of all, I have wonderful friends who made sure to call, email and bring flowers and goodies over for me to enjoy. I was even treated to a GNO with dinner and a chick flick. I felt so LOVED and spoiled! Then a few days later I was told by Matt that on Saturday night we were going to hit the town...

I just thought this was dinner at one of my favorite restaurants but nope...

WRONG-O. When we arrived at The Purple Cafe (http://www.thepurplecafe.com)

a bunch of our friends were there waiting to for us with a big "SURPRISE!" I'm usually pretty suspicious when Matt tries to surprise me but this time I had no idea. The 10 of us dined on baked brie, bruschetta, yummy spreads like edamame and toasted walnut. Then they brought out the pizzas: potato, margherita, goat cheese and roasted mushroom, and sweet onion sausage and ricotta cheese. De-lish!

He even had a quiz to see how well everyone knows me.

After dinner, Matt took me to a dance club where we danced the night away with our friends, the Chapmans. If you know me at all, you know I LOVE to dance. It was a blast! The best 35th Birthday EVER! Thanks Babe!

Viva Las Vegas!

2010-01-26T14:43:00.000-08:00

In December we took a quick trip to Las Vegas. Matt had to go for work and I tagged along. It's a pretty sweet deal. I should do it more often! The hotel, rental car, half our meals and Matt's flight were all paid for. I justed used a $50 companion ticket and we got a cheap vacation without kids! (Thanks Hoopes!)

We stayed at the Venetian. It's such a beautiful hotel!

The gondola ride inside the Venetian.

The view from our room. At night at the top of the hour,

we could see (and hear) the volcano erupt at the Mirage.

Large hotels have A LOT of elevators! Just to get

to the hotel parking garage we had to take

THREE different elevators.

The Bellagio had Christmas decorations all made from

flowers. Here's a carnation snowman.

What's Vegas without an Elvis sighting?!

I think the highlight of our trip was seeing the show La Reve. It's a little hard to explain. It's got dancing, acrobatics, synchronized swimming, and free falling from unbelievable heights into a small body of water.

Absolutely AMAZING!

2009: The Year of Concerts/Shows

2010-01-08T13:29:00.000-08:00

2009 seemed to be the year of concerts and shows

for us. I guess our friends the Chapmans have rubbed

off on us. We hit SEVEN in a matter of four months!

SO MUCH FUN!!!

Depeche Mode in August for Matt's B-day present.

Rockin' Out!

Miley Cyrus in September with Cassidy.

Wicked the Musical two days later.

We went went with a whole group of friends

but I forgot my camera.

Matt and Cameron went with the Boys to see

Star Wars in Concert in October.

Then we saw Black Eyed Peas and U2 with

the Chapmans in Vancouver BC. Look how HUGE

their set was!

On the streets of Vancouver where the 2010 Winter

Olympics will be held next month.

Then of course, New Moon in November.

Thanks sweetie for waiting out in the cold

for an hour so we could get good seats!

Matt and I with my Bella and Edward Necklace.

And our annual So You Think You Can Dance tour.

Don't forget the Hot Tamales!

The Christmas Letter

2009-12-22T10:55:00.000-08:00

Yes, we are too cheap and too lazy to send out a Christmas card this year. I apologize for our lameness. Maybe next year we'll try harder to get this is in printed form, but as for now this will have to do.

Here is the Molen Christmas Letter 2009 as written by my husband. Just remember, don't believe everything you read... I can't lie, most of it is true but there are some exaggerations.

December 2009

I’m married to a teenybopper.

Seriously. Either Alisha is going through some sort of mid-life crisis or she is actually going backward in time. I’m telling you, my wife is getting younger!

Less sincere men might say something along these lines to cull some romantic favor: “Baby, you keep looking younger every day!” Sure, I may have uttered that phrase in my best Barry White voice in the past, but this time I’m genuinely concerned!

The preponderance of evidence is overwhelming. I submit the following as proof:

Proof #1 - She is a total Twi-hard.

For those unfamiliar with the term, this is a slightly obsessive reader of the Twilight book series. A Twi-hard is one step above a Twilighter, which is one step higher than a “fanpire.”

How do I know? On our second trip to Forks (in 18 months), she declared her new dream car to be a silver Volvo. At Italian restaurants, she orders nothing but mushroom ravioli. And lastly, I have to assure her that 3 Team Edward t-shirts are MORE than plenty.

** On a side note, I used to side heavily on the side of Jacob, simply out of jealous spite for the fantasy place that Edward occupies in my wife’s heart. However, after hearing Alisha’s sharp intake of breath at the moment in New Moon where Jacob takes off his shirt for the first (of many) times, I am nowfirmly on Team Edward. **

Proof #2 – Her phone shows more calls to SYTYCD’s hotline than Tiger’s phone has deleted texts.

As of this writing, she has cried herself to sleep for 4 straight nights at the prospect that there might not be a So You Think You Can Dance tour this year.

Proof #3 – Skinny jeans.

1 pair is trendy. 2 pair gives you beneficial wardrobe options. 4 pair, however, just signals trouble.

Proof #4 – Miley Cyrus beats Wicked every time.

It was an extravagant birthday surprise for our 8-year old daughter. I assumedthe special trip to the Miley Cyrus concert in Portland was all driven off a desire to appeal to my daughter’s love for the teen pop sensation. My suspicions changed however, when my sweet wife began to gush that it was the BESTconcert she’d EVER been to.

The following week, I took her to see the musical Wicked (considered theatrical bliss for most females) in Seattle on the same night that Miley was performing inTacoma. During intermission, I turned to her and said something like “isn’t this great?” In response, she forced a weak smile and said “it’s okay.” “What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I’d rather be watching Miley!”

So who’s to blame? I’m pretty sure it’s not me. While many still consider me to be a delicious piece of eye candy, the daily war I wage against my unruly eyebrows is testimony enough that whatever fountain of youth from which she’s imbibing has not afforded me a single sip.

But if not me, then who? Normally I would just do as any good husband does and simply blame Oprah. Could this be a subconscious reaction to the news that Queen HARPO is leaving the air in 2011? (Maybe now we know why the Mayans ended their calendar in 2012.)

However, there is enough reason for me to believe that it’s the fault of those three unruly offspring of ours. After all, the issues of adolescence are beginning to engulf our lives. For example, we spent the better half of a year debating who was going to give our 11-year old son the next chapter of “The Talk.” (In case you’re wondering, I manned-up and shouldered that responsibility. I learned, however, that it isn’t wise to look up certain anatomical terms in Wikipedia in search for helpful diagrams. )

Additionally, she has to deal with our two prepubescent daughters (ages 8 and 5) whose moods change faster than Nobel can award Obama a Peace Prize. Both are cute as can be, and have many moments of sweetness, and goodness, but both have recently taken to the phrases “ohnoUdidnt” or “that is SO unfair!”

As you can see, she’s out-numbered by these hipsters. Their influence has overrun everything in our lives, even control of the most sanctified of domains – our cars. The speakers of our mini-van have been pushed to their very limits by the driving beats of the Black Eyed Peas, as she feels no choice but to give into their incessant demands.

So, my friends, I ask for your help to save Alisha from those pop-culture ninjas we call our children. I don’t think it’s too late – there’s reason to believe there’s still hope. After all, she still mostly speaks in complete sentences and doesn’t rely on texting as her sole means of communication.

Oops, gotta go. Alisha needs the computer to look up when High School Musical 4is coming out.

Merry Christmas!

The Molens

Halloween 2009

2009-11-02T13:55:00.000-08:00

Deciding on the perfect costume...

A Year

Finding just the right accessories...

Months

Beautifying the hair and face...

Hours

How long it takes before the kids start shedding...

Minutes

Those 10 minutes of enthusiasm and excitement...

Priceless

After all the hard work and anticipation, it amazes

me how quickly they are "over it".

But it's so worth it - even if just for the photos.

The Grim Reaper

(Again - but why not, the glowing eyes are really cool!)

The Geisha

And the Movie Star

A Special Day

2009-10-19T15:14:00.000-07:00

On August 8th Cassidy was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We are so proud of our little girl!

Her Biggest Fan

2009-09-15T17:12:00.000-07:00

Wow! I am still all giddy from Cassidy and I's GNO last night. Honestly, I can't

stop thinking about it. I do feel a little silly when I realize her intended audience

and then remember that I am 34 years old. But hey, what's wrong with that?

I can still enjoy good music and good entertainment. Right?

So, let's go back a bit...

Yesterday morning I told Cassidy she had a dentist appointment she had to go

to at 10:00am. So we got in the car and started driving. We kept driving for

about 25 minutes before she realized hey, "the dentist isn't this far away???"

I then told her that we weren't really going to the dentist and that I had planned

a mommy/daughter date to go shopping. She thought this was pretty cool

because she got to miss school. After another 10 minutes she started
wondering where we were going that was so far away. I told her, "Portland".
Once she found out that we were going to a different state she was
all giggly. She couldn't wait to tell her friends that she got to
skip school to go shopping in OREGON! We stopped for Subway
along the way and then got to Portland around 1:30pm. We hit Old
Navy, Ross and Target and finally found an outfit for her
to wear to the 'show' later that evening. I told her we would be going
to a show but she assumed that I was talking about a movie. She
was all pumped and ready to see the movie "Up" but I hadn't promised
anything. "We'll see..." was my answer a lot that day. We then headed to
dinner at Red Robin. Cassidy and I love their peppercorn burger. After
Cassidy changed into her new outfit in the bathroom, she noticed that
everyone was wearing a Hannah Montana shirt and commented on it.
"That's funny", I shrugged off. I was planning on walking her into the Rose
Garden unaware of where we were going but that was ruined by our
cute little RR server. The first thing she said to us was, "Are you going
to the Miley Cyrus concert too?" Cassidy just kind of stared at her with
wonder in her eyes. I didn't say anything until after the server left and then
I had to tell her. Yes, we are going to the Miley Cyrus concert and that's
the real reason we are in Portland. If you know Cassidy, you know how
badly she wanted to go to this concert but Matt and I had already bought
tickets to see Wicked with a group of friends the night she was in Tacoma.
She thought she was going to have to miss it and she was devastated about it.
When she realized she was going to get to go, she was ECSTACTIC! After that, all she
wanted to do was get to the concert as fast as possible! So we finished our burgers
and strawberry lemonade, fancied up Cassidy's hair, and headed over to the Rose Garden.
It was cute to see all the little girls in their get-up of sparkles and fancy clothes.
Once we got in to the arena there were lots of things to buy - t-shirts, programs,
light up sticks and photo sessions... but Cass said she didn't want any of it.
She said they were all too expensive. (And that there ladies and gentlemen
proves she is my daughter!) So we went to the bathroom and found
our seats. She was in awe of everything. In fact, the first thing she said was,
"Can I scream as loud as I can?" And she did several times that night. I
thought it was interesting to see that she had no inhibitions. She was
standing up, singing, dancing, waving her arms. Anything and everything
to take in the whole experience. I have to admit. I was just as excited.
We listened to her music all the way down to Portland and knew every
song Miley sung. The show was AMAZING!

Some of our favorite parts...
When Miley fell backwards into the "ocean" during At the Bottom of the Ocean
The ribbits of the frog during Fly On The Wall and when Miley litterally flew into the crowd
Dancing to the Hoedown Throwdown and Party In The U.S.A.
Watching Miley float over the crowd on a motorcycle during I Love Rock N Roll
Hearing an entire arena sing along with Miley in The Climb

This is something Cassidy and I shared that we will remember for a VERY long time.
A mother/daughter bonding experience. After all, I am her biggest fan...

She just found out she's going to see MILEY!

At the Rose Garden

Getting nervous and anxious before Miley comes out

The flying motorcycle

And MORE screaming

Kindergarten!?!

2009-09-04T10:12:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my baby is in Kindergarten!

On Thursday, Kennedy had her first day of real school. She was so excited

to go, meet her teacher, and be at the same school her brother and sister were attending.

As soon as we arrived, she turned to me and waved good-bye. "Bye Mommy!"

There was no hesitation. No doubts about this new adventure. She was ready.

As for me? I'm not so sure. I have loved having my little buddy around helping me

make cookies, clean the house, color pictures, run errands, and play games with.

She will be missed. Now she is growing up and becoming a big girl.

Am I ready for this? I don't know...

Off she goes, not evening looking back...

Exhausted from a long and exciting day.

First Day of School

2009-09-04T09:43:00.000-07:00

Cameron and Cassidy had their first day of school on Wednesday. I can't believe how big they are getting! The bigger they get, the older I feel. Why is that??

Fun in the Sun

2009-07-21T15:33:00.000-07:00

There is no place better than summertime in Seattle. You just

can't beat it! Our "summers" are very short here (3 months tops)

where we actually get warm sunny weather, but they are in my

opinion so worth it! I guess there must be some consolation for

the other 9 months of the year. We love to play it up as often as

we can and take advantage of this gorgeous place we live. A

couple of weeks ago we went to Seattle Center and played in the

International Fountain. The kids loved it. And the best part?

It was FREE! Well, except for the $4.00 I paid in parking. But

that's still cheaper than the pool.

We Miss You Friends!

2009-06-09T11:28:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday our good friends the Rules moved away.

We have shared a lot of great memories with them

and will miss them dearly. We wish them the best

and know that they will make many new friends and

touch their lives as they have touched ours.

Good luck in MO! We love you!

Happy Birthday My Friend!

2009-06-07T08:13:00.000-07:00

Okay. This is a test to see if my friend Jill really checks my blog as

often as she says (even though I don't post that often!)

So, Happy Birthday Jill! I hope your day is full of a bunch of nothing.

No sharing time.

No dinner making.

No dishes.

No whiny kids.

No laundry.

No cleaning.

No responsibilities!

Just a nice, relaxing, enjoyable day filled with family and friends who love you!

And of course, GIFTS! (I'm crossing my fingers for ya! "Kris, Kris, Kris, Kris!")

Now, what time is it? PARTY TIME!

Welcome to Paradise!

2009-06-02T11:49:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Kauai!

Truly a Tropical Paradise.

Thanks to Simplyfun (Matt's board game buisness)

and my niece, Alayna for watching the kiddos,

Matt and I were able to go to Kauai at the end of May.

Now, we have been to Kauai before so I knew

EXACTLY where I wanted to go first.

Jo Jo's Shave Ice! They have the best shave ice

EVER! No joke. Picture this. First you start with

macadamia nut ice cream, then layer with shredded

coconut, then finely shaved coconut flavored ice,

and topped off with some coconut cream. Delicious!!

If you ever go to Kauai you must stop by Jo Jo's.

You won't be sorry!

Me in Shave Ice Heaven!

After that we did things like go to a Luau...

Go see a lighthouse...

See Puff the Magic Dragon...

And beautiful waterfalls...

And colorful peacocks...

(Doesn't that look fake? So gorgeous!)

And chickens?? Yes, LOTS of wild chickens.

And my favorite picture of all, a surfboard fence...

Oh, and of course more Jo Jo's!!

We had a blast and loved hangin' with the top

SimplyFun consultants. If it wasn't for them we

wouldn't have got to go to Kauai.

So THANK YOU guys!!

Keep up the awesome work!

All in all, it ROCKED! Can't wait 'til next year!

Until then, hang loose.

Crazy Hair Day

2009-05-01T14:25:00.000-07:00

Today was Crazy Hair Day at school.

Sweetie, I apologize in advance that I did not

edit these photos in anyway. This is crazy hair at it's rawest.

I can't fail to mention Kennedy's self-named

"pumpkin" hairdo that she is so proud of. You

can't really tell but the pumpkin part is

highlighted bluish green.

The classic red-tipped mohawk.

Cassidy and I wanted to do something more wild with her

hair but we couldn't make it work and we ran out of time.

Instead we went with lopsided Princess Leia.

Easter Umbrellas

2009-04-13T17:51:00.000-07:00

What's Easter without some April showers? Thankfully, the Easter Bunny had

brought the girls their very own umbrellas. Sounds exciting doesn't it? Well,

they think they're pretty cool especially the button they get to push to open and

close them. The Easter Bunny was trying to be a little more practical this year

and not give lots of toys and candy. Unfortunately, Cameron wasn't as excited

about it as the girls were...

Hawaii - Day 4

2009-02-24T15:21:00.000-08:00

DAY 4

This is the last day I promise!

We spent the morning hanging by the

(salt water) pool reading and doing sudoku.

Here's a glimpse of my view from my pool chair.

Palm trees just make me happy.

North of Kona they have a long stretch of lava

graffiti (made with white rocks) along side the road.

Matt and I thought it would be fun to leave our mark

on the Big Island too. So if you ever go to the Big Island,

look on the east side of Highway 19 between

mile marker 93 and 94 and you should see this...

Those who broke ancient Hawaii's law - perhaps

by treading on the shadow of a chief, or fishing in the

wrong season - could expect execution unless they fled (swam)

to this sanctuary called "Place of Refuge". If successful, they would

escape execution and be given a second chance. Thank goodness

our judicial system doesn't work this way today.

thi

Matt looks just like them doesn't he?

We also had the opportunity to see the Kona Hawaii Temple.

It was absolutely beautiful at night.

We had a fabulous time in Hawaii! We are so

incredibly lucky to have such great friends who

willing watched our three little ones while we were

partying it up. We love you guys!

Hawaii - Day Three

2009-02-20T16:32:00.000-08:00

DAY 3

At the beach!

We spent the morning at Hapuna Beach

soaking up the rays. It is said

to be rated one of the top 10

beaches in the U.S.

We are probably the only people

that carry around a camera with a

tripod everywhere we go. Sometimes

I think we're a little crazy but in the end

I'm always glad to have the memories

captured in photographs. It's a good

thing because I have a terrible memory!

While I chilled on the beach, Matt enjoyed the

waves and went body boarding. It was pretty

rough out there and was tossed around a few

times paying the price with bruised ribs.

Then we drove to Kona to do some souvenir shopping.

Along the way we stopped to get some shave ice.

I was dying to try some to see if it compared to

JoJo's Shave Ice in Kauai. Not even close!

It was truly disappointing. At least I will be in

Kauai in May to quench my Hawaiian shave ice desire.

We thought our shave ice was big but you

should have seen the LARGE.

I loved the contrast between the black

lava rocks and the blue water.

Gorgeous!

This photo reminds me of Hawaii. Us watching

the local surfers while the sun sets.

What's Hawaii without a romantic kiss at sunset.

We didn't do much better for dinner this night either.

We ate at Outback Steakhouse (Cheese Fries!)

and then hit a movie - She's Just Not That Into You.

Hawaii - Day Two

2009-02-18T10:33:00.001-08:00

DAY 2

We started the day driving from the west side of the island to the east side. Our first stop was to Akaka Falls. A beautiful 420 foot waterfall.

We came across this much smaller waterfall along the path to Akaka. Ah, the beauty of nature!

Along the way to/from the falls I saw these Banyan trees and fell in love with them. They are monstrous trees with huge solid canopies and complex root systems. Of course this picture doesn't do them justice to their size so just take my word for it.

Next we headed south to the volcano. Honestly, I can't remember it's name but that's pretty par for the course with all Hawaiian names. It's not my forte. This is a steam vent from the volcano. It's warmth felt good (it was pretty cold up there) until you walked away feeling damp.

This was about as exciting as our volcano experience got. It was still neat but we were a little disappointed that we didn't get to see any lava flowing.

I was really hoping to see something like this...

Or this...

But instead we got this...

And this. How can you be upset when you get the opportunity to see a cloud shaped like a dog?

The hardened lava was pretty cool though.

We also hiked through the rain forest to a...

Lava tube.

Nature is pretty amazing.

We ended the day with dinner at Macaroni Grill -- again. Oh, I could have eaten there every day! Although I did feel a little guilty. Afterall, we are in Hawaii. Shouldn't I try something a little more authentic? But then again, why mess with something you know you love?

Hawaii - Day One

2009-02-15T16:39:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a week since Matt and I got back from Hawaii and I'm think I'm ready to post now.
The laundry is done, Valentine's Day is past, the school parties are over, Matt has edited the
photos and I've come to terms with the fact that Hawaii is gone and done. Well, kind of...

DAY 1

When we first arrived, we checked into our hotel - Waikoloa Beach Marriott.

It was very nice and not very busy so it felt like we had the resort to ourselves.

For some reason, they thought it was our anniversary and had

some chocolate covered strawberries sent to our room. We didn't correct them : )

That night we headed to the Luau.

What's Hawaii without a good Luau?

And sipped on some tropical drinks like virgin strawberry daiquiris.

Then we all headed outside to watch them dig up the pig from the pit.

I'm not sure why we went because it was disgusting! I don't know

how anyone could eat the pork at the Luau after seeing that

poor pigs carcass lying there so lifeless and helpless. After that

I haven't been able to eat bacon - the only meat I would eat

in my vegetarian diet.

This is the second Luau we have been too in Hawaii and we've

decided that we don't like Hawaiian buffet food. We both

picked at what we had knowing we would get something

to eat after the show.

Then the show began...

It ended with a fire dancer which was the best part of

the whole evening. Just amazing!

As we were driving up to our hotel I squealed in delight to see

that my favorite restaurant was right next door.

The Macaroni Gill! So this is where we ran to after

the Luau. So fabulous!

And thus ended our first day in Hawaii.

Welcome Home Sweetie!

2009-01-18T14:34:00.000-08:00

10 Days

11 Flights

8 States

6 Business Meetings

(in 6 different cities)

1 Married Niece

After all that, we are glad you are home!

Snowless Snow Day

2008-12-19T15:52:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, I rolled out of bed, took a shower and then checked my email as I do every morning. I noticed an email from the school district which stated that school was cancelled for the day. I then proceeding to look out the window and as I did I noticed absolutely no snow on the ground. Hum. That's strange I thought. Then I went back to the computer to further read the email. School was cancelled because of the prospect of snow that was suppose to arrive sometime during the day. Okay. Afterall, our school district cancels school if there is a light dusting so It didn't surprise me too much to hear of the closure. Funny thing was, it never snowed on Wednesday. Matt ended up staying home from work thinking "a storm was coming" so I took off and went shopping. It was like a Saturday in the middle of the week and we loved it. Although, Cameron is not looking forward to making it up at the end of the year. Needless to say, it did snow early Thursday morning and all day Thursday so we actually did have two REAL snow days Thursday and Friday. Christmas break came sooner than expected. Yippee!

Wednesday Snow Day #1

Thursday Snow Day #2

"Most Anticipated Movie of the Year"

2008-11-24T13:24:00.000-08:00

On Saturday night Matt threw a surprise Twilight party for me and some friends. We got together at our place, ate pizza, answered Twilight trivia questions (I came in second or third because of my terrible memory), and then went and saw the movie. By the way, I really liked it! It was definitely a low budget film but I still thoroughly enjoyed it! I'd love to hear what you thought of it...

Here's my Edward. He sent me love notes signed "Edward"

all week long. He's such a romantic and I love it!

(Click on this picture - you need to see it big to get the full effect)

Of course we had to get some vampire shots...

Joe and Chris

Ronnie and Jodee

Troy and Amy

Ginny and Steve

Elisa and Doug

Doug really wanted to see the Bond movie instead...

So he did this to his poor wife...

I look a little bored here. Would you hurry it up already!

Then it was off to the movies!

Yes, we were the first ones in line followed by a horde of teenagers.

And we waited...

And waited...

But it was well worth the wait!

Forks, Washington

2008-11-19T13:37:00.000-08:00

As most of you know I am a crazy obsessed Twilight fan.

And to prove it I dragged my family and the Rules

all the way to Forks, WA - the small town where

the Twilight series takes place.

Right outside of the Forks Visitors Center is Bella's truck.

Personalized name plate and all.

As you can tell Amy and I's hair was a wet frizzy mess.

It wouldn't be Forks if it wasn't raining. That's why

Stephenie Meyer (the author) chose this town,

because of how cloudy it is.

When we arrived we were starving! So we hit the local

hamburger place, Sully's Burgers.

We heard they had a special burger named after all the Twilight

craze called the Bella Burger. Amy ordered one and it even

came with plastic fangs.

Here we are eating the Bella Burger. See Amy's fangs?

Next on to Bella's house. We tried to peek around the

backside to see if we could see the window where

Edward would sneak in to see her.

Here's the hospital where Dr. Cullen works. He

has a reserved parking spot just for him. It's

a shame they're wasting such a good parking space

for a fictional character. Oh well, it made me happy!

This is the high school where Bella and Edward meet.

Not to mention where he saves her from being crushed

in the parking lot between two cars.

At about this time the men were getting bored...

And the natives were getting restless...

Well, they'll just have to tough it out.

Here's the police station where Charlie Swan worked.

(Bella's dad)

Next on the list is the Cullen's mansion. Well, it's actually

a bed and breakfast but hey it was the closest thing

to a mansion they had in Forks.

The mailbox even had the Cullen's name on it.

The visitor's center also told us that the owners of the bed and

breakfast leave a different note everyday just outside the Cullen house.

On the day we were there it said, "The Cullen family (and Bella)

have gone to Fairbanks to check out the University of Alaska."

Nice touch!

Then we stopped by Forks Outfitters (where Bella worked I believe)

and had to have a picture with this Twilight cake they were selling.

I also bought a t-shirt here...

Then we were on to La Push which was about a 10 - 15 minute

drive to the coast.

There we went to First Beach were Bella first met Jacob.

On the way out of town we saw this wolf... Is that you Jacob?

I SO can't wait to see the movie. We are going to see it this weekend!

I hope I like it...

By the way, Matt has made a Twilight blog. If you are a fan,

you should check it out. It's www.afterthebite.com

Two Rock Stars and a Grim Reaper

2008-11-01T07:21:00.000-07:00

Cameron as the Grim Reaper

Kennedy as Hannah Montana

Cassidy as a Rock Star

Group shot at our friends the Ards

Prepping for the big night

Our Sweet Cassidy

Why must we be so scary?

Our Sweet Kennedy

Our Sassy Kennedy

Two teenage rock stars in the bodies of a 7 and 4 year old.

What attitude! This kind of scares me.

Matt even joined in the fun as a BYU Cougar fan

(Far stretch I know:)

Cameron out trick-or-treating in the fog

Spooky!

Here's some of the loot the kids scored. All organized by type so

I know what I want to steal when the kids are in school on Monday.

Looks like this girl ain't sharin'

Seabrook 2008

2008-10-21T12:06:00.001-07:00

I know it's been about 7 weeks since Labor Day weekend but that's how behind

I am on my blog. Here are some shots from our annual trip to Seabrook, WA. Enjoy!

The cream house with green shutters was the cottage we rented. It's called the Sweet Spot.

I just love these beautiful shots of Amy and Troy. And yes, they were constantly kissing!

One of My Top 10 Most Anticipated Nights of the Year

2008-09-23T13:48:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night Matt and I, the Chapmans and the Cooks went to see the So You Think You Can Dance Tour in Tacoma. It was so much fun! My friends were nice enough to put up with my giddiness and even let me have the best seat in our row. Matt was so sweet. He surprised me with a beautiful ring that I had been eyeing on our cruise in May. Here are some shots from our amazing night.

Us on the tram on the way to the Tacoma Dome.

Love was definitely in the air.

We couldn't take pictures but here's a youtube video of my favorite dance. It's about a husband who keeps leaving his wife and not making time for their love. Or something like that.

Back to Preschool '08

2008-09-09T13:56:00.001-07:00

Kennedy's back to preschool for her second year. Here are
some pics from her first day.

Her name tag for her cubbie that she decorated.

We went to lunch at her favorite restaurant,
Pogacha. She loves the after dinner chocolate
mints they give you with the bill.

At preschool playing mom.

Back to School '08

2008-09-09T13:21:00.000-07:00

Well, it's that time of year again. Time for the kids to head
back to school. Cameron (4th grade) and Cassidy (2nd
grade) were both excited to go back and see all their friends
and make new ones. (I keep wondering when that
excitement is going to wear off.) They have been back for
about and week and so far so good. They both really like
their teachers and haven't complained yet about having
to do their homework. Now if I can just figure out my new
schedule...

In front of the school. Go Grizzlies!

Cassidy and her best friend, Kiersten. Walking buddies.

One last hug... Hey, watch your hand missy!

No Go on the Big Wheel

2008-09-04T15:05:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, Matt will not be a contestant on Wheel of Fortune this year. He did well at the audtions but wasn't asked to stay. He thinks it's because he didn't have enough energy and he didn't stand out enough (imagine that). Oh well, I guess there's always next time!

Wheel of Fortune Auditions

2008-08-26T19:35:00.001-07:00

Today we got a letter in the mail saying that Matt made
it past the first screening of Wheel of Fortune. Yea! He
was invited to the next level of auditions in Seattle which
is on Thursday. It seems silly but it's pretty darn exciting
especially when you consider the odds. Go baby! Good luck!

Finished...

2008-08-26T19:27:00.000-07:00

Well, I finished Breaking Dawn yesterday and I really
liked it! I'm just a little sad the series is over. At least
I have the movie to look forward to over Thanksgiving weekend.

Breaking Dawn and Twilight Trailer

2008-08-03T11:14:00.000-07:00

Breaking Dawn (Stephenie Meyer's fourth book
in the Twilight series) came out yesterday. I can't
wait to read it and find out how the series ends!

Here's the trailer for the Twilight movie that is coming to
theaters December 12th. I am so dang excited!

She's Finally Lost it!

2008-07-31T10:19:00.000-07:00

It's time for celebration! Cassidy has finally lost
her snaggletooth. It's been nearly 5 months
since Cassidy's had this loose tooth that won't let
go. It decided to come out after being
knocked out by her sister while "playing". Now
it wasn't knocked out completely. Instead it
was dangling by a strange tissue that had
formed which was causing the tooth to remain
in her mouth for so long. It was really strange.
Anybody heard anything like this before?

BEFORE

AFTER

Wheelmobile in Sequim

2008-07-19T09:08:00.000-07:00

One of our family traditions is to watch Wheel of Fortune together every night (well maybe not EVERY night). So when we heard the Wheelmobile was coming to town we thought it would be fun to go try out for the show. We drove over to Sequim which is about a 2 and a half hour trip. When we got there we wondered why we came. The chances of us getting on stage to try out were very slim, so when they pulled Matt's name out we were shocked. He got up there and did his thing but he didn't slove the puzzle. Thankfully that doesn't matter at this stage. The Wheelmobile is just a preliminary screening process before the final Wheel of Fortune contestant audition. As long as you fit their requirements for personality and demographic and you don't make silly mistakes like calling a letter that has already been called you can still be called back for the final auditions. So we are keeping our fingers crossed and should know within the next couple of months if he made it. There is still a very slim chance he would make it on the show but hey - it's worth trying.

Fourth of July Fun

2008-07-09T10:38:00.000-07:00

On the 4th, we went to the Issaquah Down Home
4th of July Celebration. It was great because everything
was free! (I love that word) The kids enjoyed the
bouncy houses, the pony rides, the face painting, and of
course the Reptile Man. That evening we went to the
Fourth on the Plateau and had a picnic while listening
to 70's dance music, played catch and card games, and
downed almost an entire big bag of Skittles. Once it got
dark, we enjoyed the fireworks with two little girls on
our laps - ears covered. We are already looking forward
to next years Independence Day.

So You Think You Can Dance!!

2008-06-18T10:13:00.000-07:00

My absolute favorite show is back on! Life could not be better. (Well, maybe if the sun was shining...) I'm a little late in posting because they've already voted 2 people off but here's the list of dancers with their partners. It's still early to have a favorite but my first instinct is to lean towards the ones that are from Utah. Right now, I like Chelsie H. (She's from Orem) and I loved the routine Katee and Josh did last week so they're on my list as well. If you watch the show, I'd love to hear you favorites too!

I posted the pics in order from favorite to least favorite.

I loved Katee and Josh's hip hop dance last week! I'm curious to see if they will do as well this week...

I like Chelsie from Orem but I'm not sure about her partner Mark. He's a little out there sometimes but he could grow on me.

Kherington and Twitch danced really good last week. I'm rooting for Twitch to do well. There's just something about him I like.

Comfort didn't dance that well to me last week but I like her personality. Thayne reminds me of Benji (whom I loved!) from season 2. He's even from Utah!

Kourtni and Matt and okay. Not my favorite - not my least favorite. To me they seemed a little awkward last week because of their height.

Chelsea is a fireball and Chris is cute but bugs. Again, not my favorite but good dancers.

I think they just picked Susie because she's "sexy". We'll see if she can keep up with the other dancers. Marquis is non-memorable.

Last week, Mary said Jessica and Will were the couple to beat. I totally disagree! I thought they (Jessica in particular) was not good. The couple to beat? No way.

Courtney bothers me too. Too cocky maybe. I didn't think Gev danced well last week either. I could do without both of them.

I can't wait for tonights episode!

So You Think You Can Dance...dance...dance...dance...dance

Preschool Graduation

2008-06-05T14:07:00.000-07:00

Today Kennedy had her preschool graduation. It
was so cute with the caps and diplomas and all.
When her teachers asked her what she wanted to
be when she grows up she said "a mommy". She
must have changed her mind since we talked a
couple of weeks ago because then she was not
interested in the mommy thing at all. I hope my
pep talk convinced her that being a mom is fun
and so rewarding - especially being her mom.
Congrats Kennedy!

Kennedy and her best friend, Tyler.

Going to the Great Wolf Lodge

2008-06-04T12:13:00.001-07:00

If you want a great place to getaway in the Pacific
Northwest go to the Great Wolf Lodge in Grand
Mound, WA. We went with our friends the Rules
for the weekend and the kids LOVED it. They won't
stop talking about it. If you haven't heard about it yet,
Great Wolf is a hotel with an indoor waterpark
including the infamous Howlin' Tornado. Check it out!
http://www.greatwolf.com/Locations/Grandmound/

The kids loved the waterpark but they also loved
the MagiQuest game they have around the hotel.
It's a live action fantasy adventure where you use
these special wands to track your journey to gain
powers and discover treasures - Kind of like a
scavenger hunt only better. Very cool! We are
already planning our trip to go again next year!

Dance Recital

2008-05-31T17:15:00.001-07:00

Today Cassidy had her first dance recital for her ballet and jazz classes. She did such a great job - I couldn't be more proud of her.

Yes, I know. I am LAME.

2008-05-28T12:56:00.000-07:00

Okay, so it's been 3 months since I have posted anything to my blog. I am lame. But to my defense a lot has happened in the past three months. I can't even remember how it all started but we were suddening in the market for a new home. We were lucky enough to get the home we wanted in the neighborhood we wanted for the terms we wanted all an hour before we were going to sign a new lease at our old townhome. You could definitely say our prayers were answered and we were immensely blessed. We love our new home and can't wait for summer to take advantage of all the parks and hiking trails.

Two weeks before the move my body tried to pass another kidney stone. Unfortunately this time the stones were too big to pass and I had to have a "surgical" procedure called a lithotripsy where they use soundwaves to break up the stones. I don't know if I would have classified it as a "surgery" but that's what the doctors called it. There were no incisions but they did put me under general anesthetic. After the doctor broke up the stones he put a stent in my ureter which remained there for 2 weeks. That was probably the worst part of the whole thing. That darn thing made me feel like my bladder was about to fall out at any given moment along with the constant need to pee like a bad bladder infection. I was SO glad to have that thing removed. I have yet to names these three stones so if anyone has any good ideas let me know!

Then a week after we moved my parents came into town and Matt and I headed off for our annual SimplyFun incentive trip. This year it was a cruise to Grand Turk Island and the Bahamas. No matter where we go we always have a great time meeting the consultants and making new friends. Here are some pics of our trip.

Beautiful Beach on Half Moon Cay, Bahamas

Matt and I at the karaoke bar and no we did not brave the stage.

Me and the boat in Nassau.

All us Jazz fans watching the NBA playoffs in the dance club.

Matt bustin' a move on the dance floor. Now ladies don't
get any ideas. See that wedding ring on his finger... He's mine!

Twilight Obsession!

2008-02-21T11:03:00.000-08:00

The Twilight series is one of my many obsessions! If you haven't read Stephenie Meyers vampire books yet - you MUST. They're a great read! Twilight has become such a big hit that they are making a movie out of the book(s) which will be out in theaters in December 08. I can't wait!! They posted a photo of the Cullens on Stephenie's website but I didn't think they did a very good job on their hair and makeup so I looked up the actors online and posted them below (click to enlarge). So if you've read the book, what do you think of the cast members?

http://stepheniemeyer.com/twilight_movie.html

2008-02-14T08:06:00.000-08:00

For Matt On Valentine's Day

2008-02-12T13:32:00.000-08:00

I just want to say I love you

I'm thinking of you today

You mean so very much to me

In a very special way.

You're my sunshine in the morning

My moonlight every night

When I'm sad and lonely

You make everything just right.

I know I tell you often

How very much I love you

But I will never be able

To completely express my love for you

I love you dear with all my heart -

More than words can say

I hope this day is good to you

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

Love Songs

2008-01-31T13:11:00.000-08:00

I love a good love song! Anything that makes me feel all warm and squishy inside. So with Valentines Day coming up, I searched online to find a list of the most popular love songs and added 10 of them to my blog for your listening enjoyment. Is your favorite on the list? If not, I'd love to hear what your favorite love song is...

As for me, Lady in Red is my all time favorite song. I think we all would like to be thought of the way he thinks of his lady in red. Like she is the most beautiful woman in the room and he can't take his eyes off of her. Like he is the luckiest man alive to be with her and be loved by her.

Another one of my favorites is I Could Not Ask For More by Edwin McCain. I truly could not ask for more. With Matt every prayer has been answered and every dream has come true. Ahhh!

Congrats to Aubrie and Kyle!

2008-01-28T15:51:00.000-08:00

The weekend before last Matt and I had the opportunity to fly to my home state of Oklahoma to see my niece be sealed in the Oklahoma City temple. It was absolutely beautiful. Congrats to her and her new hubby, Kyle. We wish them the best on their new life together!

A BYU Christmas

2007-12-28T10:24:00.000-08:00

If you don't know already, we are BIG BYU fans. This
year Santa brought us all shirts to support our beloved
collegiate teams. The kids were on the same wave length
as Santa and got Matt a BYU tie, a foam claw, and a
cougar head cap. Go Cougars!!

Christmas Letter 2007

2007-12-21T13:28:00.000-08:00

December 2007

Our family could win a beauty pageant. How do I know? I’ve got credentials. Check my resume. Just below my credits as World’s Tallest Man Sitting Up and a Kermit the Frog Impressionist, you’ll now find “beauty pageant judge”.

Having been identified as a discerning assessor of character with a keen eye for potential in today’s youth, I was asked to judge South Kitsap County’s Junior Miss Program.

In truth, I originally agreed to participate because I misread the invite. I thought I was going to be judging South Kitsap’s Junior Mints program. Certainly if anyone has the ability to tell a good Junior Mint from a bad one, it’s me.

As judge, our most important job was to grill each 16-year old girl for ten minutes with ridiculously tough questions that nobody besides Mitt Romney would ever expect to have to answer in real life. My fellow judges took these questions very seriously, asking things like “Recent polls have shown that most Americans can’t locate the US on a world map. Why do you think this is?”

Seeing the level of importance this was to have, I created my own thought-provoking questions to assess the contestants’ intellect and ability to think on their feet:

“Who would you want to win in a fight, and why: Superman or Spiderman?”
“What was the best thing BEFORE sliced bread?
“Who is the best looking judge on this panel?”

As I walked away from the event, I concluded that if put up against the contestants in this pageant, the Molen family would collectively thump the rest of the field. In fact, it would be so one-sided that I would fear for the self-esteem of the girls who competed. Here’s how the Molens would fare in each area of competition.

SCHOLASTIC

Those high school senior girls would shiver with dread when realized they’d be facing off against intellectual prowess of Cameron’s ilk. This third-grader is so smart that he has memorized the strength of every Pokemon and can tell you who would win between a Squirtle and a Bulbasaur (the answer is Bulbasaur). He’s such a golden academic that he reads the Harry Potter books before watching the movies! Who does that??

FITNESS

Those 16-year old dance team cheerleaders would pass out like Marie Osmond when they discovered they’d be up against Cassidy. Ten years younger than the rest of the field, this 1st grader is fit as a proverbial fiddle.

A master contortionist (okay, so she can do a backbend), a trained gymnast (she just mastered the round-off), a master of balance (no more training wheels) and a striker with more moves than Mia Hamm (she scored her first goal), we attribute her primo physical condition to her dietary discipline (just this morning she downed an entire box of Hostess “donettes” all by herself)!

VERBAL EXPRESSION

Kennedy will make her way to that microphone with confidence. This precocious three year old would have no stage fright. After all, this is the child who during the quietest moment at church breaks out in 200-decibels with this song:

Jingle Bells! Batman smells!! Robin laid an egg!!!Batmobile lost its wheel and Joker got away!!!!

And if given a tough question she doesn’t know the answer to, she’ll simply make up a song with nonsense words that all rhyme and leave the rest of us to ask ourselves if we’ve ever heard anything more profound.

POISE AND GRACE

This final category was tailor-made for my wife. Being the essence of elegance, style, and charm, Alisha would dominate in the nightgown portion of the competition. Huh? Evening gown? Right. That’s what I said, isn’t it?

Merry Christmas from the Molens!
Matt, Alisha, Cameron, Cassidy, Kennedy

Family Portraits

2007-12-12T12:39:00.001-08:00

If you're anything like us, taking family pictures are
a huge chore that takes a LOT of patience. It's almost
impossible to get everyone smiling and looking good
to their liking in one single photo. We tried this year
but to our dismay they didn't turn out as hoped. Here
is an "okay" one along with some shots of the kids.

Family Portraits...Uggh!

2007-12-12T11:02:00.001-08:00

Here's a few that definitely didn't make the cut...

Santa Baby!

2007-12-12T10:46:00.000-08:00

Santa came to our ward Christmas breakfast and we
actually got all three kids to sit on his lap without crying!

Christmas in Seattle

2007-12-11T15:59:00.000-08:00

Christmas is magical! On Saturday, our family
spent the day in Seattle and I couldn't help but be
overwhelmed by the Spirit of Christmas. The
glittering lights hanging from every tree, the musicians
playing and singing Christmas carols on the street,
the hustle and bussel of fellow shoppers, the bell
ringers who smile and wish you Merry Christmas,
and the cold air "nipping at your nose". I love this
time of year. Here are some shots of our December
day in Seattle.

We started the day off by wrapping presents for the Forgotten Children's Fund aka Santa's Workshop. If you live in the area I highly recommend this. Check it out at http://www.forgottenchildrensfund.org/EventsSchedule.htm

This is one of the trees from the Parade of Trees
called Sugar N Spice and Everything Nice.

Kennedy was fascinated by the horse and carriage. I think
it was her first time to see a real live horse close up. As you
can tell from the picture she couldn't take her eyes off him!

Of course we had to ride the carousel.

Can you believe this is a gingerbread house
completely made from candy? Amazing!

I've Been Tagged

2007-12-06T12:51:00.000-08:00

Thanks to a friend and fellow blogger - Merideth - I have been "tagged". So here it goes...

A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.
B. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

5 things I was doing 10 years ago:

In 1997...
1. I graduated from UVSC with an associate degree in Hotel Management.

2. Matt and I went to Hawaii for the first time. Ahhh! Hawaii!!

3. Matt and I had just moved from Provo to Bellevue. No kids yet but thinking about getting pregnant.

4. I worked at the DoubleTree Hotel in downtown Bellevue (now the Hilton) as a catering assistant.

5. I was working in the Young Womens program in my ward just as I am now. My favorite place to be!

5 things on my to-do list today:

1. The never-ending, dreaded laundry.

2. Go to Denise's Holiday dress sale. I so look forward to this every year!! Beautiful dresses at great prices.

3. Watch a friends kids while her and her husband go on a lunch date.

4. Update my blog. As you can tell I'm not very good at this.

5. Do some online Christmas shopping.

5 snacks I enjoy:

1. Quakes Rice Snacks of the Caramel Corn variety. Tastes great and doesn't make me feel too guity snacking on.

2. No Bake Cookies. I love any mix of chocolate and peanut butter but when you throw oatmeal in there too! Yum!! I can eat the whole batch by myself and usually do. The kids come home from school and get mad at me for eating them all. I just can't resist!

3. Biscoff Cookies. You know those crisp European cookies you get on airplanes? Love those! They are hard to find but the Walgreens down the road has them.

4. Chips. Funyuns, Sour Cream & Onion Lays, Pringles. Just about any chip hits the spot but are even better when there's dip involved.

5. I don't know if this is a snack but I love cheese fondue. I tell ya, I'm a dip girl!

5 things I would do if I were a billionaire:

1. Travel, travel, and travel some more. Fiji, Italy, Grease, Austraila, New York. I could go on and on.

2. I'll have to go with build my dream house. Ya know, one with air conditioning and a yard. : )

3. Take my whole family (all 44 of us) on a dream vacation. They deserve it!

4. Do some good in the community. Most likely a charity that helps children.

5. Did I mention travel?

3 of my bad habits:

1. Eating unhealthy. Most people think that since I'm a vegetarian I must eat healthy. Wrong! My favorite bad things are french fries smoothered in cheese and then dipped in a spicy ranch sauce, candy bars, cookies, cheese, anything smoothered in cheese, anything fried, and cheesecake. I can't go a day without some form of chocolate.

2. TV watching. I tend to watch a couple hours of TV a night. I love reality TV like Survivor, Amazing Race, Dancing with the Stars, and my absolute favorite - So You Think You Can Dance. Matt and I just went to the SYTYCD tour a week ago. AWESOME! That will definitely be an annual tradition. I also thoroughly enjoy Lost, Heros and 24.

3. Shopping. I love to shop a little too much. But I could never buy something at full price. My kids know this and often ask, "Is it on sale?" before asking if they can get it. My favorite stores are Target, Ross, and Nordstrom Rack. I live for Black Friday and after Christmas sales.

5 places I have lived:

1. Bartlesville, Oklahoma - I was born there and lived there until I left for college. Oklahoma is OK! (seriously, it's not as bad as you think)

2. Provo, Utah - Went to school at BYU and UVSC so from 18 to 22 years old

3. Bellevue, Washington - for 3 years and then North Bend, Washington for a year and a half

4. Atlanta and Villa Rica, Georgia - from 2001 to 2003

5. Issaquah, Washington - Moved back and lovin' it!

5 jobs I have had:

1. Sales associate at Afterthoughts, an accessory store in the mall

2. Doing dishes in the Cannon Center at BYU. Oh so smelly.

3. Body Heat. I worked at a tanning salon in Orem when I met Matt.

4. Executive Assistant to the hotel manager at the Provo Courtyard by Marriott. I loved this job! I got great perks like $30 hotel rates at any Marriott. I also worked as a front desk clerk at several hotels and as I mentioned earlier as a catering assistant at the DoubleTree.

5. Billing Manager. I worked at the same company as Matt, he being the Operations Manager. It was fun working so closely with my husband - we got to use the carpool lane and go out to lunch together every day. Highly recommend it.

5 things people don't know about me:

1. I am a pretty shy and quiet person. Sometimes I think this comes across as snobbish but I'm totally not. Just reserved. I also HATE being the center of attention and being up in front of people. Of course, my church callings have loosened me up some but I'm still uncomfortable with public speaking.

2. Kind of embarrassing but I won the Sexiest Legs contest when I was a senior in high school.

3. I was on the jump rope team in elementary school called the Cardiac Kids where we would travel around town to other schools and nursing homes etc. and perform jump rope routines (of all things!).

4. I have passed about 10 kidney stones since I was 20 and have more sitting in my kidneys just waiting for the right moment to make their move and cause me excruciating pain.

5. I have been in 10 car accidents throughout my life most of them being in my high school years. FYI - I was driving in two of them and only one of them was my fault (I rear-ended someone when Cassidy was choking on something in the back seat).

I tag Matt, Heidi, Crystal, Holly, and Rachel

Two Cats, a Cowboy, a Flapper Girl and a Mad Scientist: Halloween 2007

2007-11-02T10:28:00.000-07:00

Ghosts of Halloween Costumes Past

2007-10-09T14:38:00.000-07:00

Halloween is such a fun time of year! The kids love deciding

what they're going to dress up as and carefully planning it

out months in advance. Thankfully mine aren't too picky

and don't mind wearing reruns occasionally. And of course

there's the candy factor. They always get WAY more candy

than they ever need and seem to still have some around

until after Christmas, even after gorging themselves the first

couple of days after. My personal favorite is the little ditty

the kids sing around the house the whole month of October.

It goes something like this:

Trick or Treat
Smell my feet
Give me something good to eat
If you don't, I don't care
I'll pull down your underwear

A friend of mine posted past Halloween pics of her kids

and I thought I'd steal her idea and do the same.

(Thanks Merideth!)

Here we go...

2000

Cameron as Dr. McDreamy

2001
Cameron as a Bear
Cassidy as a Pumpkin Head
(for some reason we were lazy and didn't
get her a real costume.)

2002
Cameron as a Bear (again)
Cassidy as a Glamour Girl

2003

Cameron as a Knight in Shining Armour

Cassidy as a Renaissance Queen

2004
Cameron as a Knight (again)
Cassidy as a Princess
Kennedy as a Chocolate Kiss

2005
Matt as John Travolta
Cameron as a Jedi
Cassidy as a Rocker Chick (Loved that costume!)

Kennedy as a Cowgirl

2006
Cameron as a Jedi (again)
Cassidy as a Cowgirl
Kennedy as a Bear

(Boy, we sure did our moneys worth

of the Bear costume!)

School is Back in Session

2007-09-18T13:45:00.000-07:00

Cameron - 3rd Grade

Cassidy -
1st Grade

Yes, I'm one of those crazy mom's that follows her kids around with a camera.

Kennedy - Preschool

On the first day Kennedy got to decorate her cubbie name tag with stickers. She was so proud!

Playing in the schoolhouse.

My little girl is growing up way too fast...

Seabrook

2007-09-14T17:21:00.001-07:00

We took one last summer trip to the Washington coast over Labor Day weekend. We stayed at this new little beach town called Seabrook. We were lucky enough to have our friends - the Rules - come with us.

At the beach. Can you believe it was
actually warm enough for us to take our jackets off?

My friend Amy and I. Do we look alike? We had someone ask us if we were sisters.

My Kennedy.

Sisters.

Kennedy just recently realized that it's fun to smile and pose for the camera. Finally! Before I couldn't get her to slow down enough to get a good shot.

The kids. Peyton, Kiersten, Cassidy, Kennedy, and Cameron. Posing in the rain.

At Seabrook they have flex bikes around town that anyone can use. Because of our gracious friends, Matt and I were able to take a bike ride - just the two of us. I don't think we'd ever done that before.

Cameron on "his" bike.

The girls. Kiersten, Cassidy, and Kennedy. I think their favorite was the hot tub, the park, and the nightly smore fest.

Matt and Troy playing football in the park. If it wasn't a football, it was a frisbee and if it wasn't a frisbee it was a bocce ball and if it wasn't a bocce ball it was a volleyball.

Listen up boys! Amy and I will beat you next time!!

Matt and Cameron at the indoor water park in Ocean Shores.

Cassidy enjoying the slides ...over....and over...and over again.

Sunsets on the beach. My favorite!

A cool thing about the WA coast is the fact that you can drive on the beach just steps away from the waters edge. Too bad we had our mini van instead of this cute convertible.

A Tribute to Summer

2007-09-10T17:45:00.000-07:00

Back in July Matt took the day off and we headed for the beach. The next few shots are of us at Jetty Island in Everett, WA.

Ah, the lazy days of summer...

That's funny, they sure do look like they like each other.

What a view. Washington is such a beautiful state!

Kennedy and I snuggling up to keep warm.

Almost every Thursday evening we would head to the park for their Concerts in the Park series. The band would play while the kids danced and played catch with beach balls. This was one of my favorite summertime activities.

We went camping at Ensign Ranch in August and got to try out our new two room tent. By the way, I'm not really sure why Kennedy is licking her armpit.

With all the visits to the park and the beach we took many a baths. Don't ya hate it when sand gets stuck in every imaginable crevice.

Summer isn't summer without a heaping scoop of ice cream.

As I mentioned, we often went to the park. Here are some pics from the playground.

The kids love to pick wild berries and wild "flowers" - That is if you call dandelions flowers :)

Summer of '07

For one of Matt and I's date nights we went to Kerry Park on Queen Anne hill and took some nighttime pics of downtown Seattle. Gotta love Seattle!

Cancun!!

2007-08-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

Matt and I had the opportunity to go to Cancun in May with the top SimplyFun consultants. We really enjoyed our time there playing in the sun, reading a good book with a pina colada in hand, and meeting new friends. Relaxing in a beach chair overlooking the ocean without hearing the word "mommy" every 10 minutes is my kind of vacation. Don't get me wrong - I love my kids - but a break from parental responsibilities is needed every once in awhile to retain my sanity. Thanks Grandma and Grandpa Tuckett for watching the kidos and keeping us out of the mental institution!

Precious

2007-02-26T14:56:00.000-08:00

May 2005

Little

2007-02-26T14:53:00.000-08:00

May 2005

Ones

2007-02-26T14:45:00.000-08:00

May 2005

"Burning Down the House"

2007-02-21T14:34:00.000-08:00

Five years ago when we lived in corporate housing in Atlanta, I was heating some oil on the stove so I could make some fried mushrooms for lunch. Well, I got it started and then the phone rang. I had to run to the back room to get it because Cassidy had been playing with the phone in the dining room and I had unplugged it. Guess who it was... a telemarketer (darn them!). When I got back to the kitchen seconds later the flames from the pan were 4 to 5 feet high and black smoke was rolling across the ceiling. It didn't take long for the sprinklers to come on and not only in our apartment but the 5 floors beneath us. Needless to say, it was a mess! Amazingly enough nothing major was damaged by either the fire or the water. Not even our computer or camera that were doused by the sprinklers. Since Matt's company was paying for our rent and all of the furniture inside of the apartment, we weren't out a dime. They paid for all of the damage. Boy, we got lucky. Or maybe luck had nothing to do with it...

February 13, 2002

House For Sale

2007-02-20T16:03:00.000-08:00

We decided that it was time to sell our house in Georgia. If you know anyone looking for a house in the Atlanta area please pass this along. We can get them a great deal. : )

http://atlantamls.listingware.com/search/index.cfm?KeyField=ListingID&Reciprocity=Yes&LeadSource=AtlantaMLSHomePage

Listing number 2107366

So Yummy!

2007-02-19T17:41:00.000-08:00

I love this photo of Cassidy when she was just
a few months old. So Yummy!
October 2001

Time Flies...

2007-02-19T17:11:00.000-08:00

I guess I only took Kennedy's pictures for the

first year. Just watch those cheeks and

thighs grow...

3 days old

...When You're Having Fun!

2007-02-16T20:30:00.000-08:00

When Cassidy and Kennedy were born

I tried to take a photo of them each month

until they were two. As you can see I missed

some months or misplaced the pictures

somewhere. This is the first time I've put them

together to see the little changes that happen so

quickly when they're wee ones.

1 day old

Ouch Continued...

2007-02-08T14:57:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, Cameron was playing with a laminated card and somehow scratched his cornea with it. His eye doctor said corneal abrasions are pretty painful especially when you blink. So he applied a contact lens bandage on his right eye to help with the pain. Unfortunately this means lots of drops (which Cameron is not a fan of) and even application of some medication that is ike vaseline. Not fun for either of us. Today, while we were in seeing the optometrist I started having major back pain. So I went to my doctor who happened to be upstairs and sure enough another kidney stone. Let's call this one Cornelia -- or Corny for short. Hopefully I can pass her without any more pain.