HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA KEMP!!

I wanted to post a little Thank you on my mother-in-laws birthday. She is a wonderful mother, and Grandmother, and I am so grateful for the way she raised her children to be so kind and loving to everyone they associate with. She taught her children to be outstanding children of God, and proud to be who they are. Although we all tease her about her Perfection in all that she does, I love that I see Payton taking on that quality, and wanting perfection in all that he does. She can remember everything about her kids when they were little, and my kids love to hear stories about their dad when he was their age. We love you Grandma, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Horder? I'm guilty

(sorry, the story is below the pics)

I am horrible at holding onto stuff, but my husband's just as bad, after Michelle and I loaded this onto the truck, he wanted to go through it and make sure it could all go to D.I. he saves EVERYTHING!!!

Now my house is open and without the clutter I am amazed at how I feel, it makes me want to keep throwing stuff away, and stop buying useless STUFF.

My laundry room is clean, and clutter free, Michelle helped me go through a lot of clothes, I held on to shirts that I absolutely hated, but felt guilty throwing out. RIDICULOUS!

The boys function better with all their stuff organized, and because we don't have a play room, a lot of toys got thrown out, but they could care less.

Did anyone see Oprah's show on hording? One lady filled a huge wharehouse full of stuff out of her tiny house. Well, I think my sister Michelle was so sick of hearing me complain about having such a cluttered house, and I was actually getting depressed because I couldn't get a handle on things, and I felt that there was just never enough time ect. ect. I have to thank Michelle for helping me not become like that lady on Oprah. Today, we went running, and then she came home to my house and helped me fill up two garbage cans, and our truck full of D.I. I have been guilty of putting aside my stuff to go through later, and not throwing anything away. I didn't realize how the stuff stacking up made it so much more difficult for me to function as a mom and wife.

Our office was my junk room, I had boxes in there of papers, picture, you name it, it was there for me to go through later. I moved Lydia's room to the office, and put Brigham in Lydia's room, so I cleaned out all of the stuff in the office and filled my living room, it was really ridiculous how much stuff I collected. Michelle was here, and she spent 7 hours helping me go through it, I am so truely grateful that she was here, because I would never have gotten it done, and we would have lived in caos, and clutter causing stress on my family and I. I really feel like I can breathe.

I have always loved going into someone's house that looks so open, and free of clutter, but honestly wondered where there stuff is. Well, I guess I didn't realize, that they throw it out. The stuff that I have kept thinking I'll look through it or use it someday, it did nothing, but sit in the back of my mind causing me useless anxiety. Thank you Michelle. Funny story..........she handed me a CD, and told me to put it somewhere, well, I wasn't sure where I wanted it to go, so I put it in a basket in my room (full of other odds and ends-to find a place later!). Well, a while later, she decided to go through the baskets in my room, and could not believe I stuck the CD in there. I'm going to be better, I swear. My house looks wonderful, and so OPEN! :) Thanks michelle.

Memory lane.....

Trey and Lydia, "Best Friends" This was taken last year
Last year also, Lydia loves her aunt Michelle
Classic picture, if you notice that Darth Mole has his eyes locked on Marcus. Marcus is slowly standing up, and then runs to his dad.
Lydia and Grandma Kemp last year
Jason and his daughter Haley. They live in China now. This was taken over a year ago
Kemp family
Last year in the snow at Grandmas
I love having a girl!!!
Classic mom laugh, I love Maryann's look, oh how we LOVE our mom.

Ok, so much has happened, I have some really cute pictures from our fun weekend up north, I'll post them later when I can get them on my computer. I love going home, and I love the snow. We went up for John's sister's baby shower, and to see John's brother Jason before he went back to China. His family is living there for a year while they both teach English, and what an amazing experience they are having. John wanted to come back home Saturday night, and I just wanted to hang out at my mom and dad's house on Sunday. So, because Monday was Presidents day, I told John that we should take the boys snow skiing on Monday. I was so excited because he agreed, and so I got to stay and hang out with my family all day Sunday. Jordan and Jemma were there with their cute little dog while Chris and Laurie were in San Diego, so the kids had a blast, and I got some cute pictures, I will put them up as soon as I can. Skiing with the boys was so much fun. Although, John surprisingly (I thought I was the most patient person, until I became a mom) was so much more patient with the boys than I was, I was so nervous that they were going to get hurt, I babied them a little too much, so we took turns skiing with Marcus, then Payton. John had them snow plowing by themselves everytime he took them. I skiied with them in between my legs, or holding on to my pole. After lunch we took them to the big lift, and they went down great, Payton got so comfortable, he started singing while he snow plowed down the big hill. They did great for their first time, I loved the whole day.

Yo what up!?1?

I''ve been tagged....but first.....

Wow, what a weekend. Laur came to visit on Tuesday night.... Wednesday, we went to Michelle's and tried to see what she was having with her ultrasound machine...Laur and Michelle are both having boys unless we were looking at the umbilicle cord. Thursday we all(Mares, Michelle, Laur and I ) walked the stop sign. I hope Laur posts the picture she took with all of us and our kids that we try to bundle up and keep happy for two hours. Lydia was horrible on Tuesday, she was so cold, but would not keep her hands and feet covered, so after many times of telling her she would not get to go to Michelle's house (her favorite place to go after we walk), I let her walk for the last 1/2 mile. So I kept to my word and did not let her go to Michelle's. Well on Thursday, she was an angel, she layed back and kept herself covered, and when we were almost done, she turned around and asked me, "Are you going to let me go to Brielle's?" Soooo cute. On Friday we went swimming, the kids had a blast, and we got babysitters and went to see '27 dresses' on Friday night. Since I am still in this weight loss contest, I was really trying to be good, I bought Mike 'n Ike's for John, and told myself I wasn't going to eat one, I kept remembering what my mom said to me..."You remember what they taste like." and I didn't have one, it was a proud moment. We went to Bajio after, and John wasn't that hungry, so we shared a salad. Saturday, we ran the stop sign with only 3 kids, I love to run with my sisters. It was so fun to have Laur and her kids here that long, she just like my mom always cleaning, I just woke up and found my kids bathroom scrubbed, thanks Laur. We were constantly feeding little ones, but the kids were so thrilled to have their cousins here. Well, today my mom sent Valentine's cookies with Travis and I'm sorry I had no will power with them I know what they taste like and I wasn't willing to not taste them, lots of them....YUMMY! Thanks mom
Ok here's the questions for the tag:
10 years ago......I was 21, I was still dating a boyfriend from High School, an on and off, and on and off relationship that was not going anywhere, he was a great guy, and fun to hang out with, but I think we both knew that we were not going to get married, so the day before Valentine's we talked and decided to end it,(truth be known it was his idea to end it, but I knew it was right to end) and I am forever grateful, because I met my husband that same year 5 months later. I remember....I know this is silly, but true, so I'm going to write it anyway so I never forget.....I was praying because although I knew it was the right thing for our relationship to end, it still was frustrating, and I remember feeling so peaceful, and I felt so strongly that I had not yet met my husband, I got a small glimpse of him in my mind. Well I got set up on a blind date, and didn't want to go because I was going back to school, and thought I wanted to find my husband, but when John showed up to my door, I answered it and knew he was the one. We were married the next March.
Things on my to do list....tomorrow, I've got to get up and run the stop sign.....plan Marcus' school Valentine's party....plan my meal for the week, and buy the groceries(four of us make four meals, and swap)....plan Weeblos den meeting.....help Michelle plan her awesome fun Valentine's dinner(let you know more later)......get rid of all of my left over pregnancy clothes, and get my closet organized.....get caught up on laundry.....pay my bills......start on my curtains.......organize Lydia's closet(she just got a box of clothes from Brielle)......sneak in some time to read Twilight (ok, I gave in and started reading today)......buy something for John for Valentine's day.....does the list ever end, of course I will probably only get 2 or 3 things done on this list and then it will carry over the next day.
Snacks I enjoy..... I love cadbury creme eggs,... I love caramel apples with white chocolate and cinnamon,... I love homemade caramel,....I love a cold orange cut up in slices...... I love.....I'm trying to think of something healthy......my snacks lately because of the contest have been....yogurt thick and creamy.......100 calorie kettle corn popcorn......lots and lots of ice water.......a sweet potatoe cooked in the microwave.
What would I do if I were suddenly a billionaire.... I would buy a house with a swimming pool in the backyard, and a basketball court in the basement, I would have a guest house also, I would have someone deep clean my house once a week, I would travel, I would have a vacation home somewhere on a lake(preferably Priest Lake)....I would buy a house boat on Lake Powell...I would buy my parents a home right next to mine that had a beautiful barn and lots of horses and hired help.
3 of my bad habits...... I bite my nails.....I am a procrastinator.....I flick my kids way too much.
5 places I have lived..... AF, Lehi, Ogden, Washington Utah, and now Ivins.
5 jobs I have had..... How could I forget Bayside Bagels, my family loved it because I brought home bags of bagels everytime I worked. I worked in Wyoming at Turpin Meadows Ranch, and cleaned cabins, did dishes and entertained guests with the fiddle. I worked at Fine Print in Ogden, I liked the printing business. Madison Salon and Chloe's Salon (both names I wanted to name my girls).
5 things people might not know about me..... In school, I was voted 'Class Clown', 'biggest sluffer', and was also voted 'Best Legs'. I regretfully got out of class a lot because I came up with excuses, I used my innocent personality to convince teachers, like being on the volleyball team and leaving when they had an away game........I am not proud, I still made the honor role though. I have no idea how I got best legs, I hate my legs, I have big ankles, my husband's are smaller than mine I swear. Before I was married, I went on 30 blind dates( go figure I met my husband on one). I have had hearing loss all my life, but didn't get hearing aids until I was 22(too proud ) because of my pride, I lived in a quiet world. I transferred out of my neighbors honors english class because I didn't want to say I couldn't hear her. I couldn't hear most of my teachers, so I did a lot of catching up at home. I could never hear my Sunday school teachers, and at sleepovers, I would pretend I was asleep when the lights went out because I couldn't hear whispers. How I would love to go back and not be embarrassed about something so dumb. So if I seemed stuck up, I wasn't , I just couldn't hear. Is that 5?

I tag my sisters and my mom, Laurie, Ruthann, and Lannie!!!!! How many can I tag?

My support group

On Saturday, I woke up, and because I am competing in a Biggest Loser contest, I knew I had to exercise, and I DID NOT WANT TO! John told me that he would come with me, and so we packed up the kids, and drove up to the stop sign trail.

Payton rode his bike, and John pushed Lydia and Brig.

I pushed Marcus in the stroller(his bike had another flat!). It was good because he was able to ride the bike when Payton got tired. The kids know I am in the contest, and they keep asking when I'm going to win the $1000(they each have a toy in mind :)). The highlight of my day was when Marcus turned around and said,"Mom you're getting so skinny."



We made it up to Galloot(3 miles up), and we all ran up the red rock. Snow Canyon is so beautiful.

John and Lydia

I know that everyone got a lot of snow up North, so this is nothing, but there was enough to have a snowball fight, and the kids were satisfied.

As Marcus was running up the rock I heard him say, "This is the best day ever!" We ran down the mountain, and at the end Marcus fell and hurt his knee, and then he said,"This is the worst day ever." We can never win.

We had a wonderful time, and I burned 950 calories! :) I have a post on my daily efforts below if you want to read, I have learned a lot doing this contest, and if it wasn't a competition, I don't know if I would be able to do this every day, hopefully I am forming habits.

Pics from Lydia's Birthday

Bryson, a little too excited
Lydia, the princessPayton sneaking some cake

Jayni, not in the partying mood

All seven of them, a very rare occasion when they are all SMILING