Eight is Enough...

8 Things

So my sister in law tagged me with this, so I kinda have to do it, right? ;)

1-Post the rules on blog
2-Answer five 8 item questions
3-post comment on blog of people you tag

Favorite TV Shows
1-Jon & Kate Plus 8
2-Secret Life of the American Teenager
3-House
4-Heroes
5-American Idol
6-LOST
7-Smallville
8-Medium

8 Things I Did Yesterday
1-A few loads of laundry
2-Made an About Me poster for Tanis
3-Went to the Blue & Gold Banquet for Tanis (A Scout thing)
4-Read to the kids
5-Helped the kids with homework
6-Watched Idol and Heroes
7-Straightened the house
8-Added an old friend and my sister as friends on Facebook

8 Things I'm Looking Foward To
1-Tanis' book report being done
2-Bedtime
3-The weekend
4-The BYU basketball game on Saturday (It's a date with the hubby)
5-Spring
6-Vacation in 6 weeks or so
7-Nathaniel's 1st Birthday
8-Seeing the Idol results tonight

8 Favorite Resturants
1-Olive Garden
2-Fazoli's
3-Any Steakhouse
4-Chili's
5-Applebee's
6-Sizzler
7-One Man Band Diner
8- IHOP

8 Things On My Wish List
1-A Housekeeper
2-A trip somewhere very warm
3-To write a best seller
4-For my kids to all get along for a 24 hour period
5-An uninterrupted night of sleep
6-To not feel so self concious
7-For a few different family members to recover from various trials and heartaches
8-To have my family live closer to me (HELLO, this section IS a WISH LIST)

I now tag whomever feels the great desire to follow suit!

What Happens Next...

Oh Where, Oh Where Have I Been?

Okay, so technically I haven't BEEN anywhere. I just wasn't in the mood to blog because of some stuff that came up.

Yes that is odd, but I was just trying to deal with it as best I could (which for me means, not thinking about it) and didn't really feel the desire to blog about it...

However, now that all is said and done I shall share.

Around the end of January/beginning of February the brakes in my Suzuki pretty much died. I didn't drive the car for quite a few days (obviously) because of how bad they sounded and because the brakes had slipped on Sunday heading to church.

So Eric takes my car in on Thursday the 5th to get the brakes repaired. It's an all day process, but the brakes get fixed and my car is as good as new.

(Not my actual vehicle, just a random pic of the model.)

The next day Eric heads to work (driving a friend). I get a call from him around 7:30. He says, "Guess what?" I say, "What?" His reply.... "My car broke down on the freeway."

So, after figuring out where he was and piling all 4 kids into my "fixed" car, off we go. We find Eric, his friend and his broken down car around 8:00 and we head off to take his friend into work.

We then head to Eric's work so that he can get his work laptop and work from home. This is around 8:30 and I realize the kids are going to miss school. So I call the school and we then head to get a quick breakfast from Burger King.

Eric had called his dad as he is a member of AAA so that we could get the car towed for free. So we head back to Eric's broken down vehicle to wait for his dad. His dad arrives after 10 or 15 minutes and then we still had to call for the tow.

The AAA people say it'll be about 15 - 20 minutes, so I am dreading this...I hadn't packed a change of clothes for the baby because I just figured we'd go rescue the guys and come home. I didn't know that we would be running all over town. So, the baby needs a clean diaper and is sick to death of the carseat and another 20 minutes was gonna kill us both.

Luckily the guy showed up in about 5 minutes and off we were to the auto shop. We then head home and wait and wait for the news.

The guy finally calls Eric around 4 and tells him that it could be a quick and cheap repair or a long and not so cheap repair depending on how much was broken. (I am not exactly sure what happened to the car except for something with the timing belt and such).

(Again, not the actual vehicle, just a random pic)

We were hoping it would be a cheap (less than $500) repair. Well on Saturday we get the bad news that it is going to cost A LOT more than $500 to repair. So, Eric's car is in the shop for a week and we are down to my car. (Good thing Eric got the brakes fixed, eh?)

On Thursday Eric gets the call that his car is ready and it's going to cost a little less than $2,000.00. Yeah, lucky us....

Good thing we are getting a refund for taxes!

The good news is that now both cars are running well and we had the tax refund coming to cushion the blow...

So that is my stress for the month.

Onto happier news:

On Thursday the 11th, the kids and I decorated our new "traditional" V-Day cookies. The kids had fun, although Shaylyn wasn't feeling well.



On Friday night Eric and I were able to go see the movie, "PUSH" thanks to my little brother who was willing to babysit at very last minute notice. I enjoyed the movie and can't believe how quickly Dakota Fanning seems to be growing up. It was a nice night out.

Saturday we went to pick up Eric's car and then I headed to Walmart to pick up some formula while Eric took my little brother home. I was glad Eric did that because I was able to wrap his VDay gift while he was gone. I made a little photo book for him at Shutterfly. It was nothing extravagant, but what I really wanted to get him was out of the budget after the car trouble arose. It may not have been an extravagant gift, but it brought tears to his eyes, so that to me, was a good thing.

When Eric arrove home, I got a very welcome surprise gift. The new Karaoke American Idol 2 game. I love it and there are so many recent songs as well as some awesome oldies that I am loving. Thanks babe!

In more news, and more reason why I've been MIA - I decided to restart the family website. Blogger is great for explaining day by day happenings, but it isn't so good at letting me post all the cute, cute pictures I like sharing.

So if you are interested the link is www.hardyfamilyscrapbook.com.


That's all there is from me today.

What Happens Next...

A Matter of "He Said, She Said..."

When I saw this on another friends blog I just had to follow suit, it being the month of l'amour and all that fun stuff....

These are true honest answers....AHEM!

ERIC'S ANSWERS ABOUT ME

1. Sitting in front of the TV, what's on the screen? Jon & Kate Plus 8

2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does she get on her salad? None

3. What's one food she doesn't like? Chinese

4. You go out to a restaurant, what does she get to drink? Lemonade

5. Where did she go to high school? Hunter High

6. What is one phrase she says all the time? "I Dunno"

7. If she was to collect anything, what would it be? Candles or Scrapbook Stuff

8. What is her favorite type of sandwich? Turkey

9. What would this person eat everyday if she could? No particular one thing

10. What is her favorite cereal? Cinnamon Toast Crunch

11. What would she never wear? G-String

12. What does she always wear? Jeans

13. Who will she vote for? She won't vote

14. Who is her best friend? Eric

15. How many states has she lived in? 1

16. Does she have any nervous habits? Not really

17. What could she spend hours doing? Blogging

18. She is: Shilo

Let me interject a few things here to clear some answers up:

- Cinnamon Toast Crunch is not my fave cereal it's Rice Chex, but Cinnamon Toast Crunch is high on my list of faves

- It's not that I WON'T vote, it's that I never feel informed enough to make good decisions

- One nervous habit I have is biting my nails

MY ANSWERS ABOUT ERIC

1. Sitting in front of the TV, what's on the screen? Heroes, Lost, Smallville, Stargates, Battleship Galactica and/or Legend of the Seeker

2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on he salad? He doesn't get a salad, he refers to it as bunny food.

3. What's one food he doesn't like? Tomatoes

4. You go out to a restaurant, what does he get to drink? It used to be Mt. Dew, but since he's weaned himself off of that it's water

5. Where did he go to high school? Hunter High School

6. What is one phrase he says all the time? He doesn't really have a phrase, but he does use the word "dude" quite a bit, even when he's talking to me...

7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be? It just depends on what his current fascination is. He's collected miniatures, dragons and cards in the past.

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich? Club

9. What would this person eat everyday if he could? Mac & Cheese and/or Pizza

10. What is his favorite cereal? I'm not sure he really has a favorite. He doesn't usually eat cereal.

11. What would he never wear? Anything Pink

12. What does he always wear? His Cubs Jacket that replaced his Cougars Jacket that he wore all the time before he got the Cubs jacket.

13. Who will he vote for? Whomever he agrees with, when he is registered

14. Who is his best friend? Little Ol' Me.
15. How many states has he lived in? 2

16. Does he have any nervous habits? He would say no, but I say he tends to tap his leg when he is anxious/nervous

17. What could he spend hours doing? Playing Video Games or Reading

18. He is: My everything. I couldn't imagine my life without him. He is strong when I am weak. He knows just what I need without me even needing to express it. "He is the Romeo to my Juliet." :D

What Happens Next...

7th Birthday Party

On Saturday, January 31st we had Shaylyn's birthday party.

We usually have her party at my parents house because we never know what January weather is going to do and we don't want to make people drive out this far if it's bad weather.

Shaylyn also decided that she wanted to go bowling for her birthday. And she wanted all the aunts & uncles to come with us. Normally we would have gone on her actual birthday and just as our small family, but Eric had to work.

So Saturday afternoon we told my brothers and sisters to meet up at my parents around 12:30. We would be heading to Fat Cats because that's where Shaylyn wanted to go. I also figured that Fat Cats wouldn't have a league going on like most bowling alleys would on a Saturday.

We finally head to Fat Cats around a quarter to one and find that actually Fat Cats did have a league playing AND a birthday party on top of that.

So we call another place close by and they told my brother in law that they were having a "Bowl for Breast Cancer" type thing going on, but they did have 6 lanes open.

So, we all head over to this next bowling alley. We all group up and head to the front desk to get our lane and whatnot and the guy tells us they have NO lanes open. Okay, the drive was only 5 or 10 minutes, it really wasn't long enough for 6 lanes to have been occupied.

Someone there tells us to try RITZ bowling. My older sister said she would drive over and make sure they actually had some lanes before we all headed over. Meanwhile my brother in law went and complained about getting told they had 6 lanes when they really didn't and what not... He got a $20 gift card out of it.

Anyway, my sister has gotten to the Ritz and called and said they had plenty of room so we all head over there. Along the way my older sister calls again and says that she's lost her wallet. Well there was a wallet that was lost at Fat Cats that some lady was asking about, but it didn't look familiar to us - so Eric and I headed back to Fat Cats to see if it was hers.

Luckily it was and then we were able to head to the Ritz for bowling. However, we still had to wait probably a good hour before 3 lanes all together opened up. When the lanes did open up, we had fun. Though, I will not discuss my score.
I took a video of all the kids bowling because they were just too funny.

After bowling it was time to head back to my parents to get ready for the party. We had a fun night and Shaylyn enjoyed seeing all of the family. I was even able to get the picture of Eric's mom and my mom together that has been on my list for a year or so now.


I even saved some money by putting together two cupcake cakes for Shaylyn instead of buying them. I saw the picture of the butterfly online, but came up with the flower idea on my own.


I also apologize for my singing... That's what happens when the camera lady sings as well as takes the video.

What Happens Next...

7 Years

Last Friday, January 30th, was Shaylyn's 7th birthday.

It's crazy to think that she is already 7 years old, but that's how things go.

Shaylyn is a very smart individual. There have been many times we, as adults, have been having conversations and have left certain details out because we didn't want the kids to know too much, but she has always been able to fill in the blanks.

She is a very independent person and enjoys the freedom that comes from that. She is a great big sister to her little brothers and is almost always willing to help them out when they need it.

She is a good friend and enjoys making friends.

She is probably my best eater and eats pretty much anything I make. (It's weird that one thing she really doesn't care for is waffles, unless it's with strawberries or chocolate chips.)

It's fun to have a little girl who lets me play with her hair and dress her up.

She is such a joy to have around...

Here are some pics from her 7th birthday.

What Happens Next...

Sharing

So last Friday the kids were able to enjoy some suckers that Eric brought home for them on Thursday night.

Eric didn't bring one home for Nathaniel (not that I would, either), but Lex decided to share his sucker with him.

Then, when Lex decided he had had enough of the sucker he gave it to Nathaniel to finish off. It was just too cute to pass up taking videos of.

Here's Nathaniel enjoying his first sucker!

What Happens Next...

Please Don't Stop the Music!

Once again I need some motivation to get my "motherly duties" done. This is due in large part to a stupid cold - once again - that 1/2 of the family has: including me!

Anyway so while I listen to my tunes while I clean the house, I will be filling this out as well.

You know the drill!

1. Put your I-Pod or I-Tunes on shuffle.

2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.

3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!

1. How do you feel today? FEELS LIKE TONIGHT by Daughtry

- I feel like it's bedtime, does that count? -

2. What is your motto? ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE by The Beatles

- Dang, right! -

3. What do your friends think of you? I'M GONNA MAKE YOU LOVE ME by Lucy Hale

- Guess that means I'm pushy, geez, sorry about that -

4. What do you think about very often? STRONGER by Britney Spears

- This works. I often wish I had a stronger personality -

5. When someone says, “is this ok?” you say? CRASH AND BURN by Savage Garden

- Guess it fits...Another way of saying do whatever pleases you... -

6. What is 2+2? JUST A TOUCH OF LOVE by C & C Music Factory

7. What do you think of your best friend? BEAT IT by Fall Out Boy Feat. John Mayer

- That's not really what I think -

8. What do you think of the person you like? JUST THE WAY YOU ARE by Billy Joel

- This is just too funny. This is "our" song....-

9. What is your life story? HELP ME, RHONDA by The Beach Boys

-If I knew someone named Rhonda it may ring true -

10. What do you want to be when you grow up? CANDY GIRL by Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons

- Hahaha, wow....I'm glad that's out there now...-

11. What do you think when you see the person you like? I WANT YOU TO WANT ME by Dwight Yoakam

- Well yeah...DUH! -

12. What do your parents think of you? BLACK OR WHITE by Michael Jackson

- I guess that means I'm easy for them to read -

13. What will you dance to at your wedding? NEVER GONNA LET YOU GO by Sergi Mendes

- I suppose that fits -

14. What will they play at your funeral? LET IT BE by The Beatles

- Another fitting song -

15. What is your hobby/interest? SURFIN' USA by The Beach Boys

- That is so me....I am the greatest surfer in the USA!!! WOW! -

16. What is your biggest secret? PRESSURE by Billy Joel

- I guess on some level this is appropriate -

17. What’s the worst thing that could happen? IF I HAD ANY SENSE AT ALL by Reba McEntire

18. How will you die? YOU DIDN'T LOOK AROUND by Lesley Gore

-I will leave that open for interpretation -

19. What is the one thing you regret? DOES HE LOVE YOU by Reba McEntire

- I do regret hurting some boys and perhaps leading other on because I had no idea what I wanted -

20. What makes you laugh? WHO'S YOUR DADDY by Toby Keith

21. What makes you cry? LIVING IN DANGER by Ace of Base

- Well I would think so! -

22. Will you ever get married? THE TIME OF MY LIFE by David Coo

- And it has been the time of my life! -

23. What scares you the most? THE STRANGER by Billy Joel

- Hahaha - that's too funny! -

24. Does anyone like you? I'VE BEEN BETTER by Brad Paisley

25. If you could go back in time, what would you change? THERE YOU ARE by Martina McBride

- I suppose I would pay more attention to who my "true friends" were -

26. What hurts right now? NUCLEAR by Ryan Adams

27. What do I think of my Mother? BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD by Keith Urban

- All things considered I was very blessed with who my mother is -

28. What do I think of my Father? ALL I WANTED WAS A CAR by Brad Paisley

- Hmmm, I guess my dad was good at giving me more than I wanted -

29. What describes my sibling? PAPERBACK WRITER by The Beatles

- Okay, I'm not sure which sibling that would be, but I am jealous! -

30. Did I have a happy childhood? EVERYTIME YOU GO AWAY by Paul Young

- According to this song, the answer would be not so much -

31. What kind of person was I? THERE ARE WORSE THINGS I COULD DO from the Grease Soundtrack

- Ummm, I suppose this is mostly true, as sad as that is -

32. What was high school like? AMERICAN IDIOT by Green Day

- Yeah I knew a few idiots in High School -

33. Was I a good student? YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY by Stephanie Edwards

- Guess it was pretty obvious that I was -

34. Did I party a lot? NO AIR by Jordin Sparks

- Pretty much my opinion on parties...too crowded, not enough air -

35. What describes my first love? ONLY THE GOOD DIE YOUNG by Billy Joel

- I suppose you could put it this way: my first good relationship died after only a few months -

36. Do I have a boyfriend? LET'S HANG ON - Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons

- In other words, it would be a yes....-

37. Do I like someone? WILD WORLD by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes

38. What was today like? PERMANENT by David Cook

- Oh I hope this doesn't turn out true...It would be nice if nothing in today was permanent -

39. What are most days like? UNBREAK MY HEART by Toni Braxton

- So what, I'm a boob -

40. What’s my life like? AROUND THE WORLD (LA LA LA LA LA) by A Touch of Class

- I guess my mind is never in one place -

41. What’s in store for this weekend? BACK WHEN by Tim McGraw

- Guess I'm gonna spend the weekend talking about the "good old days" -

42. What song describes my parents? YOU'RE SO TRUE by Joseph Arthur

- It works -

43. How is my life going? LONELY DAY by Phantom Planet

- And there you have it, I have a lot of lonely days -

44. Do I act my age? THERE AND BACK AGAIN by Daughtry

45. How does the world see me? JUST TO HOLD YOU ONCE AGAIN by Mariah Carey

46. Will I have a happy life? HERE WE ARE by Gloria Estefan

- In other words, yes -

47. Do people secretly lust after me? IF LOVE WAS A PLANE by Brad Paisley

48. What should I do with my life? HELP! by The Beatles

49. What is my signature dancing song? I THINK I'M GONNA LIKE IT HERE from the Annie soundtrack

50. What do I think my current theme song is? REUBEN JAMES by Kenny Rogers

51. What is my life theme song? WHAT I REALLY MEANT TO SAY by Cyndi Thomson

- Usually this is 100% true -

52. What best describes my life? LOVEFOOL by The Cardigans

- There you go! -

53. What best describes my friends? IT'S MY LIFE by Bon Jovi

54. What describes my worst enemy? GOOD FOR ME by Amy Grant

- I guess it's good for me to have an enemy???? -

55. Do I enjoy life? SMILE LIKE YOU MEAN IT by The Killers

56. Am I a good person? GETTIN' JIGGY WIT IT by Will Smith

57. Do I make others happy? RUN BOBBY RUN by Lesley Gore

58. What I’d post this as? MAKING MEMORIES OF US by Keith Urban

What Happens Next...