MIA

So yes, I've been missing for awhile, but I've had a lot going on in my mind and in real life...so that's the reason for it...

Anyhow, just a quick post...A tag from another blogging friend...

This is how it works: for each question look up the answer on google image search. Choose your favorite picture from the first page only.

My Age

My Favorite Color

My Favorite Vacation Spot Where I Live Where I Grew UpWhere I'd Like To Travel My Favorite Food My Favorite Treat My Favorite Animal
A Past Love My First Name My Middle Name My Last Name My First Job My College DegreeWhat I Am Doing Right Now

What Happens Next...

So in all 100% honesty I will say that I really struggle at feeling like a good mom, wife and daughter.

It's nothing new, but I finally decided to do something that will help me a bit. I created a mini album with uplifting thoughts from General Authorities.

My plan is to change the display page weekly and during the week, focus on that quote. I may even decide to share the quote here.

Anyway, here's the completed album. I decided it was easier to make a little video rather than post each pic. (Each individual page will be posted on the website with July's update.)

You will probably want to hit the stop button on the music player at the bottom of the page so you don't have a bunch of music playing.

What Happens Next...

Retraction...

"Boy, do I feel sheepish..." (Guess what movie that's from)

Anyway, so a couple weeks ago I made a post entitled, I'm Just Gonna Say It. While it was a random post, there is also some fallacies (I hope I spelled that right) in it.

Clay Aiken is in fact going to be a father, but it isn't with a male counterpart. The Jaymes he is living with and who is said to be his BFF is actually a female. Sure, she is old enough to be his mother, but at least she is female. Apparently it was still through Artificial Insemination though. The wrong information is courtesy of skimming a magazine article in the grocery store check out line. Sorry.

While Clay still remains mum when asked about his sexuality - maybe there is hope that he is batting for the right team. :D

What Happens Next...

More Randomness

Thanks to Rheanna for posting this...I suppose the idear is to bold the items you've done in this list of 200.

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking (only in front of family, though)
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days (thanks to a bout with strep & infulenza)
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one (if miniature golf counts)
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a camp fire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter

Now it's your turn. I'm curious to see what all of you have/haven't done.

What Happens Next...

Website Update

Just a heads up that the website was updated for most of June's happenings. The vacation isn't on there, but I plan to do that with the July update.

www.hardyfamilyscrapbook.com

Email me at scrappinsmiley (at) msn (dot) com for the username & password if you are interested.

What Happens Next...

VACATION ~ Day 10 ~ July 10, 2008

Another early wake up call! I think we ended up leaving the hotel around 6. We were headed home. It was an 8 hour drive and I think we all just wanted to get home.

I was sick of travelling by this time and sick of early wake up calls. I tried to sleep in the car, but failed...I never have really been able to sleep in a car.

The kids weren't quite as behaved either. This could be due in part to the fact that for most of the trip Shaylyn was in the back by herself, but for this round she was in the middle seat. Oh well.

I know that Nate is sick of his seat as he has screamed bloody murder these past couple days when we've put him in the seat to run to the store.

And I got smart at the end of the trip...In the beginning I would try to fit my fat butt into that middle seat to feed the baby, but towards the end I realized Tanis & Shaylyn could help out. Don't know that I would take a long car trip with a 2 month old baby again, though.

The kids were all super terrific considering everything. I was very thankful for that.

What Happens Next...

VACATION ~ Day 9 ~ July 4, 2008

Happy 4th of July.

So, this day didn't really turn into anything like a usual 4th of July would. But hey, what can you expect when you are on the road?

So off we headed around 9 to get to Mt. Rushmore. It was looking good for us as traffic cones and things were put off to the side and there wasn't the crapload of cops running around. As we got higher up the mountain, cars weren't parked off to the side of the road, another good sign. We actually got in! I was so excited. We actually made it there and it wasn't too crowded. By the time we left, however, it was getting crowded so we made it at the right time. The kids loved this and I loved being up close to this monument. It was just amazing.

After Mt. Rushmore we got back on the road. Our next stop was in Cheyenne, Wyoming again. It wasn't too long of a drive and we got to Cheyenne around 6.

After unloading the car we had the guys go get dinner at a Burger King while the kids watched Chicken Run. When Chicken Run was over Velyn & I took the kids to the pool again. This time it was freezing as it was an outdoor pool and the sun had pretty much gone down.

After the pool we headed to bed as we were in for another early morning.

What Happens Next...

VACATION ~ Day 8 ~ July 3, 2008

We woke up this morning and had the free breakfast at the hotel. It wasn't great, but it stopped my stomach from growling.

After breakfast Velyn & I took the kids swimming for about a half hour. We then got ready to head to Mt. Rushmore.

It was only about a 30 or 45 minute drive and we were so excited, until we saw cars lined up 2 miles in each direction of Mt. Rushmore. Now we were not going to try and take 5 kids on a 2 mile hike. Forget about that! So I took a quick picture as we drove by in case we didn't make it in the next day. Apparently on July 3rd, they do lots of activities during the day and fireworks at night. Why they don't do that on the 4th, I don't know.

We then tried to figure out what to do, but it was lunch time so we headed to a restaurant. While at the restaurant we decided we would go to Bear Country, U.S.A. This was kind of a cool place. They have wild animals roaming free and you drive through in your car. Then at the end, they have a "babyland" where they keep the babies of these wild animals so they will be safe.

While in Bear Country, we saw a white wolf. That was awesome and Eric loved seeing that. Towards the end of the ride there were some donkeys and they just stood in the middle of the road. That was pretty hilarious. The downside to this whole adventure is that it cost us close to $50 to get in! Instead of having a per car charge, it is a per person charge.

After Bear Country we decided we would head back to Wall Drug to take opportunity of some photo op things they have there. At one point in this place they had a robotic dinosaur that went off every few minutes. We didn't know this at first, and so when it first went off we just sat there watching it. It was really loud as well so we didn't notice that Lex was crying until it was over. Poor kid, I looked down and when I took him in my arms, he was literally shaking. From that point on he didn't want to go through the hall that had the dino.

We then headed back to the hotel to get some sleep so that we could hit Rushmore early the next day and HOPEFULLY actually get in.

What Happens Next...

VACATION ~ Day 7 ~ July 2, 2008

We tried to get an early start, but it just didn't work out that way. We were at Grandma & Grandpa's at 9, but weren't able to leave until 10:30. Dave & Velyn had some laundry that didn't get dried, so that put them behind. Which wasn't even a big deal to me.

We said our goodbyes to Grandma & Grandpa and Eric's parents and headed out on the road for our next destination, Rapid Springs, South Dakota.

Because we weren't in a huge hurry, we made a few stops along the way. The first stop was in the Badlands. This was scary for me as I have a HUGE fear of heights. To look down and see the drop that would happen should you lose your footing - EEK! (We did get a family picture here as well, but I like how the one with Eric & the kids turned out better)

At one view point, there were 2 rabbits, in two separate places, up close and just hanging out. That was fun to see.

After the Badlands we stopped in at Wall Drug in Wall, South Dakota. It was a cute place and we tried to get some dinner, but the restaurant had closed it's till.

So we headed to the hotel and got in around 11. By that time I was just too exhausted to do anything. Eric and Dave headed to Walmart to get stuff, but I just put the kids in bed and I went to bed.

What Happens Next...

VACATION ~ Day 6 ~ July 1, 2008

Another day for visiting and nothing else really.

I needed to do some laundry to keep us clothed for the last leg of our trip, so I hung out at Grandma & Grandpa's doing laundry while Eric and Dave headed to Best Buy to buy Grandma a new computer.

Eric was only gone for an hour or two, but it was long enough that sad to say, when he got back I had an emotional breakdown. He got me calmed down for the most part and tried to find a way "out" for me, as he still had to get his Grandma's computer set up and working. So after he talked to his parents (his Dad also needed to get out) they took the kids and I to get some ice cream and took us to the park.

This was much needed for me. The kids had fun running around and playing on the park and I just had a good time getting fresh air and watching the kids play. Shaylyn and Eric's mom even had a "swing race." That was fun to see.

Shaylyn even made this little critter (Pictured Below) by things she saw lying around.

After the park we headed back to finish laundry and get Eric. When Eric was done, we left and had a late dinner at Wendy's and then went to bed.

What Happens Next...

VACATION ~ Day 5 ~ June 30, 2008

This was the day at the zoo, literally.

We got there about 10 or so and didn't leave until they closed around 5:00.

The Henry Doorly Zoo is awesome for those of us who've only really seen Hogle Zoo. Animals are so much more into their own habitat, instead of just little cages.

We were able to have all the Utah relatives go to the zoo at the same time, with the exception of Eric's parents who took Grandma & Grandpa to buy a new bed set. :D

The kids were able to feed birds and even pet a sting ray.

All in all I think they had a great day, but they were exhausted by the time we left.

After the zoo we headed back to Grandma & Grandpa's for a dinner of the pizza purchased for Friday. It was kept in the deep freezer, so it stayed "fresh."

What Happens Next...

VACATION ~ Day 4 ~ June 29, 2008

Ah, Sunday...

This was one of the most relaxing days. We decided to just go to Eric grandparents Sacrament Meeting only. In that ward it is the last meeting. So at about 12:30 off we headed. Had this been my first time out of state I would've been shocked that it took 20 minutes to get there.

After the meeting we headed back to the hotel to change & rest for an hour. We then headed back to the grandparents house for a lunch of chicken noodle soup. Eric's mom makes the best! And the rest of the night was spent visiting.

That night the kids tried, unsuccessfully, to catch fireflies. I was also excited by the fireflies...I always kinda thought they were made up...Silly me, I know.

Then it was back to the hotel for bed.

What Happens Next...

VACATION ~ Day 3 ~ June 28, 2008

So we woke up around 7 or 8, which is what we usually do at home, and got ready for the day.

This was the day we were celebrating Eric's grandparents 60th wedding anniversary. (Thus the reason the whole family was there) The celebration was to be held at a park around noon. We figured if we headed out around 10 or so, we could hit Walmart and then head to the park.

As we were driving to the Walmart Eric got a call from his brother telling him that he was supposed to help set up the park. That was news for Eric, but we headed over to his grandparents house to get what we had to and then we headed to the park to get things ready.

After everything was ready and other people arrived we had lunch.

Then everyone had fun visiting and playing around. Eric enjoyed visiting with relatives he hadn't seen in at least 6 years. (Half his grandparents children live in Utah, the other half in Nebraska) The kids had fun playing on the playground (thanks to Eric's cousin, Kristen who babysat) and I sat in a corner taking care of Nate as it was too windy to do much else with him.

Then there was a point where it was time for Grandma & Grandpa to cut their 60th anniversary cake with family all looking on. What a sweet and fun time. You can see the love & respect they still have for each other.

(Side note: There was a picture taken of Eric's grandpa while he was in his 20's that looks a lot like Eric looks now. So, if you wonder what Eric will look like in 40 years or so, just look at his grandpa)

We had to leave the party early as the baby didn't have any formula and the water just wasn't cutting it. (Remember how I said we had to head to Walmart....I didn't pack accordingly because we were going to be stopping BEFORE the party. Live & Learn)

After our Walmart excursion - bless GPS systems that can be used on cell phones - we headed back to the hotel to rest for a bit until the rest of the family got back to Grandma & Grandpa's.

When the family returned we headed back over for dinner and guess what we had???? Deli Sandwiches...Yeah! It was all good though. I love deli sandwiches. We visited for a bit longer and the kids ran around wild outside and then we headed back to the hotel for sleepy time.

What Happens Next...

VACATION ~ Day 2 ~ June 27, 2008

Friday we woke up and headed out around 8:00 a.m. Our next destination was to Eric's grandparents house in Omaha, Nebraska.

It was a long drive. The kids still did great, it was just me who has a hard time with travelling long distances in cars.

We had Subway for lunch and found a little park to eat at. It was the perfect break for me. A little bit of fresh air and some time to stretch before heading on.

As we were headed towards Omaha, the skies looked darker and darker. We knew a storm was heading that way. About an hour or so before we arrived in Omaha, Dave had talked to one of the relatives there and the relative said that they thought a mini tornado had just passed through and people would be without power for at least 3 days. I was thankful to see that Eric's grandparents home was not destroyed and the neighborhood didn't have any real damage as some other neighborhoods had.

We arrived at Eric's grandparents house around 6 (I think) and found them without power. (The power came back around 3 a.m.) We also met up with Eric's parents and brother, and Eric's aunts family at his grandparents. Eric's parents had planned and bought 3 Costco pizzas to have for dinner, but since his grandparents were without power we had to come up with something else. So we had deli sandwiches, which is what we were going to be having for lunch the next day. Oh well.

After dinner and a bit of visiting, Eric's parents and us headed to the hotel (lucky for us, the hotel had power) we would be staying at. Dave's family was staying at Grandma & Grandpa's for this part of the trip.

After arriving at the hotel and getting things into the hotel room we settled in for the night. I was excited that we wouldn't have to get up too early the next day, but knew we would have to get up a little bit early to head to Walmart.

Tanis had accidentally dumped out the "traveling" case of formula that I keep with me, so we needed to get a new one.

What Happens Next...

VACATION ~ Day 1 ~ June 26, 2008

So instead of posting an uber long post of our vacation, I decided I would break it into days. Hopefully it'll be easier to read this way as well.

Day One started very early in the morning. We had planned to leave at 4:30 a.m. but didn't pull out of the driveway until 5:30. We then headed to Eric's uncles house to get the rest of our "crew."

We chose to go with Eric's uncle Dave and his family as they have two kids that our kids love being with, McKenzie (8) and Gavin (5). So off we head. Our first destination was Cheyenne, Wyoming.

It was a fairly uneventful trip and the kids all did great!

We arrived in Cheyenne around 2:00 and tried to check into the hotel. Eric and Dave were met, immediately, with hostility. No spelling mistake there...it is hostility. They told the lady at the counter that they were there to check in and she immediately said, "Your rooms aren't ready." This was before they even gave her names...Then she said that check in wasn't until 3:00. No problem, we decided we'd go have lunch and then go back to check in.

So we head to lunch and after we have lunch and everything it is almost 4:00. We head back to the hotel to check in and this time the lady still isn't very polite and says the rooms still aren't ready. Apparently housekeeping was WAY behind this day.

Anyway, so after we wait about a half hour or so she finally decides the rooms are clean and we can get checked in. We have another relative who works for this hotel chain and had given us a friends and family discount. When we tried to tell this lady that she said that when we made the reservation we should have mentioned it and that she doesn't have to honor this voucher. So big deal, don't honor it. Whatever!

But, for whatever reason she did like a complete 360 and decided to honor the voucher and give us the cheaper rate and decided she would now be kind...WHATEVER!

We finally get into our rooms and the kids just plop down on the bed and watch Disney channel.

After relaxing for a bit, Dave's wife, Velyn and I took the kids down to the pool. (Eric kept Nate with him) When we got to the pool there was only a couple people there and they left about 10 minutes later, so the rest of the time we were there by ourselves. That made it nice and the kids were able to go "crazy."


We then head back up to the room and decided to order pizza for dinner. We were all starving. It was yummy and hit the spot. After dinner we all crashed...plus, we had to get up early the next day to head to our next destination.

What Happens Next...

Just A Thought....

So while we were on our vacation last week (more detailed info to come) my in-laws and I took the kids to a park. While we were there I observed 3 very different ways of parenting and it got me to thinking, what kind of parent are you?

#1 - The type of parent who gives your children so much "freedom" that you sit in the car while your kids are playing at the park? The type of parent who has very few fears for their child and trusts them to always do what's "right"?

#2 - The type of parent who gives your children "freedom" but not so much that you sit in the car. You sit out at the park with them...This is where I fall in. I have some fears for my children, but I know that you can't hold their hands with every little thing they do...

#3 - The type of parent who literally follows the kid everywhere he goes. Making sure that nothing will happen to him. Leaving him with very little "freedom" and him not learning that life sometimes has bumps and challenges...

I just found it interesting. I really saw a parent sit in the vehicle the whole time they were there, while the boys played. Another mother was following behind her child everywhere he went. As for me, I sat by the side and watched.

I just sometimes wonder if I am doing enough, or not enough...

What Happens Next...