I'm a lurker

BEWARE: post below is a modge podge of thoughts...proceed at your own risk

I am a lurker...there I said it. I love to read blogs and see how everyone is doing, but I rarely de-lurk to comment. I'm trying to be better because I know how nice it is to get comments on your posts; I love them myself. However, right now, I am a lurker. What I'm wondering is...are there anonymous meetings for lurkers? :)

I'm also way behind posting on this blog. Johnathan's birthday came and went and I didn't even make mention of it on this blog. Sorry, Johnathan, I really do love you. I took pictures at his party yesterday and will share them soon. Maybe I'll have some time this evening and I'll plug in my camera and dump some pictures. Johnathan is now 10. I can't believe it. I feel like the last ten years have FLOWN by. I blinked and now I have a twelve year old and a ten year old. In March my baby will be five. Where does the time go??? When kids are little and toddling around you feel like time just stands still and you'll never get passed this phase, but when they start school time starts going in warp speed and it won't slow down for anything. I can only hope that as time speeds by we are being good parents and teaching them everything they need to know to be good men.

Today I am singing in church. I like to sing...been doing it since I was four years old, but I still get nervous to sing in church. When I was growing up and our family was touring the U.S. singing at state and county fairs I would never get nervous before a show, even if we were the main act of the fair. But, singing in church has always given me butterflies. Thankfully, I'm not singing a solo...merely singing the alto part of a beautiful song with a lovely lady who is singing soprano. I'm sure it will be fine, but still...nervous, I'm just sayin.

My mom is turning 60 this year. Next month, actually. All she wanted for her birthday was for her family to be together. Well, we can't get everyone, but we did plan a nice girls weekend here in Vegas the weekend after her birthday. I am so excited. All my sisters and sisters-in-law are coming (except my oldest sister, who is miserably sick and pregnant). We are going to have a fun-filled weekend, and probably go see the blue man group at the Venetian. I got a three bedroom condo for two of the nights and we are going to party. What fun!!!

I warned you that this post was going to be modge podge. I didn't really have anything to say, as you can clearly see, I just felt bad that it had been so long since I posted. I promise to post pictures soon - those are always the best part of my posts anyway. My command of the English language and all its nuances are lacking, and so I make up for it with my fabulous photography :) Hey - I'm just glad you guys still read this blog...

Family Picture Time

Much to Darrel's chagrin it was family picture time this year. Sorry to all those who sent me cards and didn't get one in return. My hope is next year...

We did get our family pictures done, thanks to a little help from my mom. Darrel's sister, Della, had asked me to take her family pictures when we came to St. George and I agreed. I just figured that would be the perfect time to get ours done also. We just thought it would be just as easy for them to snap a picture of us once I was done taking theirs. It was really cold the day I went to take Della's family picture, so our little family decided just to snap a few for us in the morning and then I could leave them in the warm condo while I went with Darrel to take the others. It was cold and Zachary was not happy (as evidenced in some of these pictures). I have many more with him scowling but I'm just choosing to share the ones I've decided to blow up and print for my house. Needless to say we were all glad to get them done and we accomplished all our pictures in about 20 minutes time. Bonus. So, Darrel, another year to wait for me to stress out about family pictures again...anyway everyone...enjoy.

Christmastime

Sorry these pictures are so late. Being better about my blog is one of my new year's resolutions. I promise I will be better. These are just some random pictures from Christmas. We had a great Christmas vacation. My boys had a fabulous Christmas...we are very blessed. It was really fun having my mom, dad, and my brother Ben around for all the festivities. We had Christmas at home and then went to St. George for a week of fun and relaxation. I'm in total denial about my life starting back up again...back to our normal routine. I really do love vacation.

Here is Zachary enjoying his Lego Star Wars pajamas.

Alex and Johnathan got MP3 players from Santa Claus.

We went to the Bellagio to see all the fancy stuff they had in the atrium. It was very cool.

The big gift from mom and dad this year was the wii. We've already had a great week of playing pretty much non-stop.


My mom and I at the Bellagio. It's just fundamentaly unfair that my mom looks better than I do in pretty much every picture I take. You're beautiful Mom, I hope I grow up to be just like you :)