Bush-B-Gone

I hate all things evergreen--at least when it comes to my own yard. I hate the prickly bushes and the quills that fall from the trees and poke my bare feet. The builder who built this neighborhood back in the 70's had a thing for evergreen bushes. They are EVERYWHERE. Check out the neighbors yard in the background of these videos...ya...that about sums it up. I guess our front yard looked identical to that a couple of years ago. Hooray for the previous owners who footed the bill for the removal and also put in that little retaining wall!! That was some progressive thinking!

There are still quite a few ugly bushes here and there around the yard. These two bushes/trees that are in this interesting little garden? that runs up our driveway have bothered me since we moved in. While Brent was on a high from cleaning out the garage, I talked him into hooking them up to his truck and yanking them out for me! Good bye ugly bushes, Hellooooo strawberry patch!

Bush #1


Bush #2


Next year--good bye weird little driveway garden and hello big kitchen above the garage... hoping that if I say it out loud my wish will be granted.

About today...

I am not having the best day. I spent the morning trying to get my stupid mini van from hell registered. Sounds easy, right?

New windshield: $167.00
New front rotors: $218.00
Safety Inspection: $ 41.00
Registration: $107.00

How many days I think the transmission will give me before it quits??? Not many.

I hate today. What I should do is go find my scale and weigh myself--wouldn't that just be the cherry on top....

I know this pic is recycled, but I needed something to smile about and this pic does it every time!

Jenna and "I CAN DO IT MYSELF!"

GIRLS NIGHT!

I was tempted to title this post: "When BAD ideas happen to good people."

Last Monday me & my girls were walking through the local thrift store. Kesley & Jenna were aimlessly strolling down the isle when they both stopped in their tracks by the same object. There in front of us was a sparkly LIME green prom dress from the '80's--in my size. Kesley said, "Ohhh Mom!" Jenna was speechless.

Jenna has been begging for another "Three girls and a milkshake night" for a long time. Anyone remember that night when I squeezed my body into one of my daughters white sequined dress ups? The girls did my hair and we danced to Taylor Swift... ? Ring a bell? Anywho, as I was staring at the lime green, sequined monstrosity that was hanging on the rack in front of us, I had this great idea: We wouldn't just have any ole girls night, we would have the BEST GIRLS NIGHT EVER! A dress MY SIZE would give us some fun options. It was a sign from heaven when I saw that the dress was half off and only $6!! We bought it and started making plans for Saturday.

The wait from Monday to Saturday was an ETERNITY! To top things off, we spent Saturday morning and afternoon doing yard work. By 5:00 we were all tired and VERY dirty. We put on some Taylor Swift, took baths, and started to get ready. First up: FINGERS AND TOES!Next, HAIR! We all know I have ZERO talent in that area. I asked Aunt Bonnie if she would come over and do our hair for us. All the Smith girls are talented in this area. She did an AMAZING job. Jenna still keeps saying that her hair was her favorite part of the night! THANK YOU BONNIE!! Kesley will not sit like this and let me do her hair--not for a second. Step 3: Makeup! Bonnie was nice enough to do our make-up too. These ladies felt SO BEAUTIFUL. Now, it was time to put on our dresses for the big reveal...CHECK US OUT!! Can you believe someone parted with this spectacular dress!!?

Next up: EAT! Our original plan involved going to the mall (Kesleys favorite thing) and eating at Red Robin. But, you know how you always feel a little prettier (and 20 pounds lighter) before you actually see yourself in the picture? Ya. My ladies couldn't be cuter, but about this moment I started panicking! I kept thinking, "Could we just order in pizza? What can I make fast???" I REALLY didn't want to be seen in public like this.

The girls really wanted Bonnie to come with us. She was nice enough to be our chauffeur in her fancy new car (which beat the heck out of a dirty, old mini van!) and we took off. As we were driving by Macaroni Grill, I saw a group of ladies all decked out in their PROM DRESSES!! What are the odds? I realized we were going to be steering clear of any place where this dress could be taken seriously. So, here we are in ICEBERG! Don't judge. It's good food, yummy shakes and ALWAYS EMPTY!!! I was SO GLAD Bonnie was there. Thank you Bonnie for being the one to get up to get extra ketch-ups and napkins and spoons and waters...I seriously don't know what we would have done without you!! And Jenna even got her milk shake!Next Girls Night: MOVIES AND PIZZA!...at home.

"Oh the times they are a chay-ane-gin"

You know that Simon & Garfunkel song, right?

So, Brent is the BEST, but he is also the STINKIEST man alive. By evening he can be pretty...how to say this...ripe? Anyone ever been up to the sulfur hot pots in Midway?... Ya. that is the smell.

The kids have been too small to really notice. Jenna has always had a nose from hell and she'll throw in an "Ewwww, what's that smell???" But that has really been about it. I keep telling Brent that things are going to change soon. Girls reach a certain age and they begin to notice EVERYTHING irritating that their dads are doing. I remember leaving the room when my dad was going to eat a banana or sit down for a bowl of cereal (I have to do that with Brent too, so maybe that's just me...) I kept telling him it was only a matter of time before these stinky toots were going to come between him and his girls.

The other night Brent was in singing Kesley a song before bed. I guess he was particularly ripe this evening and let one slip. For the first time ever Kesley kicked him out! It was so bad she was GAGGING!! Poor lady. Now she understands why I let him retire to the family room downstairs while I hide in my room with the door shut to watch my evening shows! The next evening he was greeted by this sign posted above her bed. Maybe she thought decorating it nicely with an Easter egg would soften the blow?

"No tooting on my bed"

So, tomorrow is the big day. Here is another clue about my adventures with the sequins...You should be scared!

Sloop John B

I was singing away in the shower this morning. It was the chorus of some song that I didn't know, but somehow was in my head. Jenna came waltzing in and said, "That's not how it goes, mom!" I poked my head out and said, "What?" "That's NOT how the song goes!" she insisted.

Here she is, proving that she knows what's what. Listen close!


Yes, she is singing about a drunken sailor getting into a fight. Yes, I still think it's cute. It's a song the Beach Boys sing about a boat named, "Sloop John B." You see, Brent loves to sing the kids songs after they lay down in bed for the night. It's the kids favorite thing in the world and I love listening from a distance. While hymns would be nice, he is usually singing something more along the lines of Jimmy Buffet, John Denver, Neil Young, Grateful Dead...you get the point. Kesley's favorite song is "He went to Paris", by Jimmy Buffet. It's about a guy who goes to Paris to chase his dreams. While he's there he finds a girl and leaves his dreams behind for her. But after, "The war took his baby, mumps killed his lady and left him with only one eye." He goes back to chasing his dreams. It's very inspiring.

Ha! Kesley just came home from kindergarten and Jenna wanted to show her this video on our blog. Kesley said, "Mom, why didn't you finish it?" And then she sang me the next verse! I think it may be time to start incorporating some hymns...

My weekend was S-S--A-A-A---W-E-E-E-T!

Look at the size of that cinnamon roll! That about sums up my weekend. Three of my AWESOME sis-in-laws and I had the BEST little girls getaway. We stayed in a DELUXE suite up in Zermatt and went SHOPPING and SWIMMING and stayed up late watching MOVIES and ATE yummy food. It was HEAVEN!!

Plans are already taking shape for next weekends girls adventure. Here is a small glimpse of the hideousness, I mean adventures that await!

Easter--a week late

It always throws me for a loop when Easter falls on Conference weekend. The religious side of me thinks it is FANTASTIC, don't get me wrong, but the prideful side of me really likes to dress my little girls up in their cute Easter dresses and strut them down the isle at church. D'ya know what I mean? It just seems a little anti-climactic when that happens the week after Easter. Is that ok to say out loud?

We had a great day, you know, despite the disappointment. Conference was AMAZING! Aunt Amber showed up in between sessions with lots of Easter treats and stayed for an EPIC indoor Easter egg hunt because of all the fresh snow. I don't like fresh snow on Easter--it should be against the law. After the second session, we had my parents and a few others up for a big Easter feast! I think it was the best ham I have ever had. Then, ALL my siblings and families--minus Joseph & Olivia who were very missed-- came up for a big cousin bash and yummy strawberry shortcake. 60 PEOPLE!! Glad we had a bigger house that fit everyone. Great day!

Picture of the tables before we ate. Maybe next year I will splurge and buy the fancy plastic dinner wear. It is Easter after all.

Jenna and Ashton--kinda looks like someone just busted them trying to sneak a roll before the prayer...

Grandpa snoozing with a full belly (yes, that does seem to be a sparkly star crown on his head.)

Gavin & James and I think a new pose we will mostly like see Gavin doing in our next family picture.

Great day, but WHAT ABOUT THOSE EATER DRESSES? This year our Aunt Tiffy made some very darling dresses for my girls. I had very good intentions of dolling them up for church yesterday, but I was nervous about teaching Relief Society and Brent and Gavin decided to skip church and go with Grandpa to visit Aunt Susie, so in the craziness of the morning I did the best I could in the 5 minutes I devoted to them. It was such a crazy morning that, not thinking, I grabbed my cell phone on the way out and and put it in my church bag. I was a little late getting into Relief Society (which is first for our block) and was just about to start my lesson when it started RINGING! I was so embarrassed. I apologized and promised to change my ring tone to a hymn in the small chance of that EVER happening again.

Pretty ladies in their Easter dresses. THANK YOU TIFFY!

I just love Jennas chubby calves in this picture! I hate how all that cute chubbiness goes away between 3 & 4. I sure will miss it!