Sheri Talks Smack

Happy Birthday to the BEST DAD EVER!!!

2010-11-09T21:47:00.000-08:00

No seriously, I have the best dad ever. For me.

I used to butt heads with him a lot, and still do from time to time, but there are soooo many ways I respect the man I call "Daddy".

He is far from perfect. But I can't describe adequately how perfectly he taught me.

My dad was never the super-spiritual teaching type. He taught by example. He had us up every morning for scripture study even though we all complained, and I am sure it was not the easiest thing for him to do either. But he did it.

He joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints as a young man, and has continued to learn and grow and develop an amazing testimony of The Atonement. How grateful I am that he made that choice 30 something years ago, so that I can have this wonderful Gospel in my life. My family was sealed on my 3rd birthday, and it is something I will never forget. I thought my whole life that I made up the images from that day in my head, until my first time in a sealing room, which happened to be the same room we were sealed in. It was exactly what I remembered as a 3 year old.

He took me hunting with him, even though he knew that would mean he wouldn't get anything that trip ;) (i had a plan, see, if Bambi heard me talking, he would be able to run and get away)!!!

But he did this with all of us, to spend time with us. Because we are important to him.

My dad always worked hard, and taught us the value of work. And after he worked hard all day to provide for our family, he came home and did the best possible thing you can do as a parent. He spent time with us. He was in the back yard, teaching us to throw, pitch, catch, shoot, or kick a ball pretty much every night. How he had time for that, as a parent myself, I will never know. He also coached many a little league team.

He served in the Young Mens for a long time, and those boys loved him.

He knows so much about cars, that when I got into high school and boys were driving old classic cars they were restoring themselves, they would often stop by my house.... to see if my dad was there ;) I didn't love that.

My dad makes me feel safe. He has always been there for me and taught me how to be a strong, independent woman. I never knew how much I would rely on these life lessons until the last couple of years. He always paid his tithing, first, and he made sure we knew that he did that, and that was why we were blessed with what we had, even when we didn't think it was much. I gained my testimony of tithing from him, and if not for that example, when things got hard, it would have been easy to not pay it. But I know what I know, thanks to him.

He is a great Grandpa to my babies. He loves them and they know it.

He honors his Priesthood, and I feel so priviledged that I can (and do) ask for a blessing at any given time, and he is ready to do it. He probably thought he wouldn't be giving father's blessings so much at this time in his life, but I've grown to depend on them more as a "grown up" than at any other time in my life. I've always thought of myself as independent and strong, and never really needed anything from anyone. But now I know how much I do need my parents, and what a comfort it is to know that they are always there for me, holding me up, believing in me, supporting me and loving me when times get tough.

I really don't know if I can do justice describing in words the great man that is my father. All I know is that I am extremely lucky to have him and his example in this world. He truly is a great man, and I look at my brothers, with all their imperfections, and see the great men they have turned into because of his example. He didn't do everything right, but he did the best he could, and it was enough.

Happy Birthday, Dad!!! I love you!

PS- I had to add that my dad and brothers are not perfect, lest they get big heads ;)

Havasupai 2010 part duex

2010-08-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

Yeah, that's me, right as I jumped off that waterfall!!! Doesn't look so high in this pic, but when I was up there, I was terrified! But I did it!

Mid-fall....

About this time, I was like, OK, this wasn't that scary!

Absolutely amazed by how beautiful this world is.......

I couldn't fit all the pics on one post, so here's the rest...

Havasupai 2010

2010-08-30T19:23:00.000-07:00

I had blast at Havasupai last weekend. It was soooo gorgeous! It was my first time, and everyone kept saying how it used to be so beautiful before the floods. I sat and looked around and wondered how it could get any more beautiful than what I was looking at right then. Absolutely loved it! We carried our packs in, which wasn't too bad, and camped between 2 rivers, which was the perfect soundtrack at night. So peaceful. On the way down I stayed with Cat and we talked for 4 straight hours. Love that girl! We have been friends since we were 14, and we don't spend nearly enough time together anymore. It was so nice to catch up. I brought my ipod thinking I might want some music, but didn't turn it on until the switchbacks on the way out. And if my life were a movie, the soundtrack couldn't have been more perfect. As I saw the switchbacks about a 1/2 mile away, I turned it on to my running playlist thinking I might need some motivation... and sure enough, as I took the first step up those evil, evil switchbacks, carrying my 30 lb pack, thinking I might die, Sherry Baby by the 4 Seasons came on! Who can't keep going when their theme song comes on?! It may have well been the Rocky theme! It was followed my The Middle by Jimmy Eat World, and that also kept me going. When I got to the top, we had left gatorade in ice in the car, and it was all slushy and cold, and may have been the best thing I have ever tasted!

Me and my lesbian shoes! hahahaha

We did this every time we got to a new fall... We all ran into it full-speed, and then ran out because it was sooooo cold! Here is our baywatch shot!!

Yeah, we are TUFF!

I'm feeling.... Confident.

2010-06-13T21:29:00.000-07:00

Probably not the kind of confident you are thinking, though I am feeling that, too. But I'm feeling confident in a way that is hard to describe. I feel like for 7 years my spiritual, emotional, and just overall progression halted, or slowed greatly, and now that that cloud is lifted, I feel like I have just grown by leaps and bounds. I don't feel held back or stifled anymore, and it is wonderful!
I feel confident that I am doing the best I can, every day, and while there is always room for improvement, I am improving, every day. I feel confident that my best is good enough, and when better is needed I will be able to do that, too. I feel like my Heavenly Father is pleased with my efforts, wants me to strive to do better and correct my many mistakes daily, but He knows that I am doing my best and I will get better. I feel confident that He has a plan for me, and though it seems like a lot of things may be a long way off, they will come, and I will be happy with the way my life goes. I feel confident that I will be able to handle whatever comes my way in the future, because He is preparing me for those things, and I am working hard to be ready. After all, if you are prepared, you shall not fear.
I feel like letting go of the things you can't control is the answer. This is me, letting go, and it feels good. I am only in control of myself, my actions, my thoughts, my feelings. That is what I will focus on.
Wow, I just realized it has been almost a year since I posted last. I will try to be more regular so I can keep up, sometimes it seems like too many things happen to catch up if you don't keep up with it! But anyhow, life is good, I am happy, albeit a little bored, but BRING IT ON! I'M READY!!!

La Vita e Bela

2009-08-27T21:40:00.000-07:00

Life is beautiful! I feel like such a slacker lately! Seriously, we've been so busy, I have barely been able to keep my head above water. But I am loving every minute of it! I feel like my last post was SOOOO negative, that I need to make this one super positive so I don't force anyone to put a bullet in their brain! I had a lot of drama going on for a while, and while still ever-present, the drama is winding down. And I could not be happier. (well, maybe a little, but I will save that for later...) ;)
I am back in my house which adds a little bit of stress to my life, but it's mostly good stress. I love my house. My kiddos are so happy to see their toys that have been in storage for a year! You should see them run around the house. It does my heart good to be at home with them, and get them settled. We have been in limbo for waaaayyy too long, and now we are finally settling back into "normal", whatever that means. ;)
I am having a ton of fun, being me, relearning what that means and who I am. I have a new found hope, and belief that there are good people out there. I am learning to trust, and building friendships and just enjoying life in general!
I am learning that what I am doing is extremely hard, but I can do it. I can do hard things with a little help from You Know Who. Every day I fail a little, but I also succeed a little. I have days where I feel like I can't do it, but then I just do. And I keep on doing. I am tired, a lot. But I also smile and laugh like I haven't in years.
Thank you to all the amazing friends and family who have supported me and listened and loved me through all of this. I know I could not have done it on my own. I have never felt more loved, just knowing that I had people I could trust who were there when/if I needed them. Even if I didn't always rely on anyone, it is a tremendous comfort to know that safety net is there to catch you if you fall.
I will probably fall on my face a million more times, but I will smile and get back up and learn from it.
So I guess this is me, officially re-joining the blogging world. I guess I felt like I didn't have all the normal happy stuff to post, so I only posted when I needed to vent. But hopefully now I will be able to post the cute, funny, sweet things my kids say and do, and the fun times we have.

What the HELLLL!!!???

2009-05-20T00:15:00.000-07:00

Excuse my language. But seriously. I just got some news about someone I love that broke my heart. I feel like hell is just right here, on this earth with us. WHY do we let things into our lives that will hurt us, and those we love??? Why do we do it? It's not like those things actually bring us any happiness, even hardly momentarilly! They add to our misery. Why do we put things ahead of our spouses, children, family and true friends? We know they will hurt us in the end, and we still do it. I am terrified for my children. I am so discouraged that there isn't any chance that they will be able to make it through this life and be happy, confident, good, honest, caring, compassionate human beings. Satan is right here with us, and I am freaking pissed at him! There is an epidemic of selfishness right now, and I am not saying at all in any way that I do not suffer from selfishness, but what is with people??? All we have to do is treat others with kindness and respect and try to put their needs before our own. If we all did this, then WE WOULD ALL BE HAPPY!!! Imagine that!?
Why do we think money, worldly possessions and power will make us happy. The only thing that will bring us true joy is our relationships with the people we love. If we know this, then why do we place such importance on the other things?
Venting, sorry if you are reading this and I ruined your day/night.
I am ANGRY, sad, heartbroken, scared, and feeling so helpless right now. How do we stop this???
Wow, this not pretending everything is perfect is really nice. I can just act psycho for a little bit, let it out and feel better :)

Blogworthy? I think so...

2009-05-06T22:47:00.000-07:00

I love this boy. I am not quite sure if I should worry about the girly stuff he likes to get into, or if it is just because he sees Ava liking it. Some days as a single mom are really overwhelming, and I am just not sure if I can do this. Then they do something cute, and I am so glad I am their MOMMY!

sappy...

2009-04-12T22:09:00.000-07:00

WARNING!!! This will be a sappy post. I use this blog as my makeshift journal/scrapbook, and I need to write to get some stuff out. Read on if you wish, but be forewarned... :)
Last week, conference was just what I needed. There were several talks that I felt were speaking right to me, but one stuck out. Elder Holland's talk was amazing. I think I have watched it 4 times now. Thank you, Tivo!
Today being Easter we had lessons at church about the atonement as well, and it was all I could do to keep it together. I think in life we sometimes focus on the atonement as paying for our sins, which is a huge part of it. But I tend to forget that it is so much more. I am going through some very difficult times in my life right now, and even though I have a TON of support, friends, family, and the most amazing in-law family I could ever have asked for, the brunt of these burdens I must carry on my own. My friends and family cannot carry them for me. Everybody wants to help, but there is just not much anyone else can do. Everyone is doing all they can, and that is loving me, listening without judgement, and being there.
I have felt very alone lately. Like I said, I have to carry these burdens. I have been lonely for a very long time now, and I am finally starting to feel like I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It is a lot less lonely to not have to fake it anymore. I feel like I have been living this Hannah Montana life- I put out this act so everyone thinks everything is ok, but I have been slowly dying on the inside. I am so glad/relieved I don't have to do that anymore. It has been so difficult to connect with people, when I can't show them the real me. Now that people know, I feel so much more connected, and like I can actually let people in. Even though it's not fun, I don't have to pretend.
But still, I have felt alone. I see everyone moving forward with life/family goals. I feel like I have been in limbo for so long, and like I will be there for a long time still.
When I got the answer to a difficult decision, I felt such a sense of peace, and like Heavenly Father really does know me, and He does want me to be happy. For a long time, I thought it was just my trial to be unhappy. It made me feel so good to know that I don't have to do this anymore. I physically and emotionally could not put the act on anymore. It is so easy to just be me now. No act, just me. Sometimes I don't know what that is because it has been so long.
Then I heard Elder Holland's talk. It hit me hard that all this time I felt like I had been doing this all on my own, when all I had to do was ask for help. I know that I have been getting help, because I have had a strength I have not ever felt, I have been able to do things I never thought possible, but how much more help would I have had if I had just asked? I know that ultimately, I still have to do this, but it is such a comfort to know that Jesus has already carried these burdens for me, and I am not alone. I just need to ask daily, maybe even hourly for the strength to do what I need to do. To be honest, I don't know how I have not had a bleeding ulcer, or heart attack with all the stress I have been feeling. But even now, the smile feels a lot more genuine. I am so grateful for the love and support I have felt from everyone who loves me. It is good to feel loved. I am so grateful for the Atonement, and that I am able to feel It's power in my life. I don't know how someone without this Gospel would be able to go through what I am going through, because I know that I could not do it on my own.
I feel like I have been a very bad friend lately. I have been so absorbed in what I am going through, that I haven't noticed others' struggles. I hope to be done thinking about myself soon, and be there for the people who have helped carry me through the last few months. that's all folks...
And thanks for being patient!

Sometimes, he's so stinkin' cute.... And sometimes, he's just a stinker!!!

2009-03-25T21:42:00.000-07:00

I took the kids out to Manzanita to watch the sprint car races. They loved it! This is I think my favorite picture of Ava and Lily being sweet!

Brody havin a ball at Makutu's Island...

I'd have taken some pictures of Ava, but I didn't see her the whole time!

Brody's world is full of frustration right now! The kid thinks he can do everything all by himself, and when he can't, he has to throw a fit. Or if you try to help him, he throws a fit! It's driving me bonkers. It is a good thing he is so cute! He hates getting in the car all of a sudden, and arches his back when I try to buckle him in. Seriously, makes me nuts!

I need to remember to blog more often. Since I discovered Facebook, blogging has taken a backseat because FB is so much easier! But then I remember that this is kind of my journal/scrapbook, so I need to do better!!!

Brody-isms...

Lately, Brody has been talking, a lot. I can't understand most of it, but here is what I have interpreted so I won't forget...

Hussy-horsey

teys-keys

goggie-doggie

ginky-binky/blanky

gogobba-grasshopper (that's my new favorite, thanks, Dad!)

whe-de-go?-where did he go? (when the deacon passed by us with the sacrament)

gaga-Grampa

gigi-Gramma

Ava booty shakin' between races! Funny.

Pinetop

2009-03-08T10:30:00.000-07:00

Lily runnin' in the snow

Ava making a snow angel

Early in the morning by our cabin, still in our jammies

Uncle Dusty, Ava and Lily

Ava and Lily

I wanted to take the kiddos to do something fun this weekend. I was hoping for snow up north, but they said there wouldn't be any. But we went anyway. My brother Dusty, his girlfriend Melina and her little girl Lily came and we stayed in a cute little log cabin. We flew kites, played and then found that there actually was snow @ Sunrise!!! Even though we were not prepared for snow, we played in it a little bit and froze our tushies off! It was sooooo cold!

More Pinetop pics...

2009-03-08T10:05:00.000-07:00

Ava running in the snow
Me getting sprayed by Dusty

My snow angel

My boy

Ava's snow angel

Blogging Hiatus

2009-01-04T23:45:00.000-08:00

I have been so stinkin' crazy busy this wonderful Christmas season, that I have not blogged in quite a while. It's just on the bottom of my never-ending to-do list, so I haven't gotten to it. But I am back, to rant and rave, and share my daily folly's. I am someone who has a blog, but I don't consider myself a blogger. Does that make sense? What I mean is: some people spend lots of time, update their blog often, check others blogs often, and somehow seem to always have something new and funny to share. I am not that together. But, blogging is important to me because it is a great way to share our funny (and sometimes not so funny) moments, and also have a way to look back on our lives. I haven't been great at journaling these last few years, so it's been a good thing for me to have this to look back on. And I am so glad I posted some fun pictures on here, because after Brody dropped my hard drive, I lost all my pictures, and was devastated. I learned my lesson, and now I am going to post more. SO BEWARE!!! I hope everyone had a fabulous Christmas, and an exciting New Year, here are a few of the highlights from the last few weeks...

"Who is this man with the white beard?! Get me outta here!", Brody says.

"I want a Barbie car." Ava says before Santa even asks. It's actually quite funny, because last year, Ava was screaming and Brody was smiling. Ava finally figured out that you gotta be nice to the big guy to get what you want!

My mom and I had 2 cinnamon roll marathon days. Yeah, we're crazy, and I gained 5 lbs! Look at the bliss on Bro's face as he licks the frosting from his fingers!

Brody visiting with our neighbor to the south. He was so excited to discover a "hussy" back there.

Ava turned 4 a few weeks ago. I can't believe my girl is 4!! We had a
"little chef" party. I made aprons and got chef hats for all the kids. They made their own pizza and had a blast. I was so done with the Princess party thing, so I tried something different, and they loved it. Happy Birthday Sweet Girl.

We gave Lauryn and Brody some of the leftover sunglasses from Ava's goody bags and when I went to take a picture, Brody scooted over and put his arm around Lauryn. It was adorable! He is always looking for ways to love on her. He's such an affectionate kid, I love it!

Something cute I don't want to forget...

The other day Ava climbed into bed with me and woke me up with a kiss, and said, "You are so sweet and such a good mommy" I was glad that she forgot the day before when I felt like all I did was yell at her. I hope she has lots of "holes" in her memory for all the mistakes I make.

I SO deserve the Mother Of The Year Award...

2008-11-11T21:34:00.000-08:00

Yeah, that's my 17-month-old, eating bananas with... a screwdriver! So, since I put him in the chair, I should have noticed that he was playing with a potentially deadly weapon, right? No, I only noticed when I saw him not eating with his fingers! (you should have seen the protest when I took it away!)
I am trying to teach my nearly 4 year old daughter about dressing modestly... Clearly not working, as her favorite outfit du jour is this, a dress up from 2 Christmases ago. Awww, my little hussy!

I got to watch Bo the other day, and Brody wanted to hold him so bad. Bo clearly does not enjoy it, but Brody loves lovin on little babies! He's so sweet... until the blood-curdeling screams when you take the baby out of his arms!

How can you not love a face like that? Especially when he's just eaten all of my eye-liner. This kid is seriously into EVERYTHING!

Here's my little dude, and his little bum-bum! He was trying to bring this stroller up the stairs when it got caught in his diaper and me being the mean mommy I am, I grabbed the camera before assisting him! I LOVE this picture!

I was loading pictures from my camera to computer, and saw all these pictures from the last few weeks that may prompt someone to call CPS on me! Obviously, after each funny moment captured on camera, I corrected the situation, and returned my sweet children to safety...

HOW MANY HALLOWEEN PARTIES CAN THERE BE?!?

2008-11-03T20:50:00.000-08:00

Brody, Ava, Ruby and Sadie at the Pumkin patch for Ava's preschool fieldtrip.
Minnie and Mickey

Are they not the cutest?

His ears squeek, too!

I know, it's blurry, but it's the only one I got showing that I actually dressed up!

Seriously, we had so many Halloween celebrations this year, that I feel a little less guilty about spending way too much $$$ on my kids' costumes! They got some really good use out ot them. First we had our neighbors, the Phelp's party. It was really cute... All the adults man a booth for the kids, mine had so much fun. Then we had our ward Trunk-or-Treat, then Ava had her party at school, then we had my dad's company Halloween parade, then actual Halloween. IS that 5? And Brent and Emily didn't even have their annual Halloween bash this year. That would have made 6! Seriously, I am all halloweened out! Putting on their costumes 5 times? Insane! Although, it was really cute when Brody figured out that he didn't have to eat each piece of candy as he got it, there would be more at the next door, and he was runnin. I really think he might just be the cutest little man ever!

WiReD!

2008-10-31T02:44:00.000-07:00

I give a pretty good pedicure. I have been doing it for fun for friends for a while, but just recently decided it would be fun to offer it to anyone. For $20, I will do salt(or sugar) scrub, callous remover, massage, cuticle therapy, any design you want(rhinestones included). Since usually it ends up being like $40 bucks when you go get a pedi, I decided that I would help people save money, and offer my services for pretty cheap(I think). If you're interested, drop me a line.

So, I was watching Grey's Anatomy tonight, and I got out my kids trunk-or-treat candy, and had a little binge, and now it is nearly 3 am, and I am wired! I have been pretty good about limiting the sugar lately, so I think my body has no idea what to do with it! I am soooo tired, and I can't sleep! Help!

I want to throw up.

2008-10-15T16:53:00.000-07:00

If you are wondering why I can't keep up on housework, here's why...

I go to get dressed, come back and there is my smiling boy, in the pantry, eating cereal with a full container of Italian Bread crumbs spilled everywhere! I guess we won't be having chicken parmesan any time soon!
And I turn for 2 seconds, and where is the bottom rack of the dishwasher? On the floor you say? That's a great place for it, Brody. Thanks for the help. Finding the silverware rack took a little bit longer! Punk!
This new skill was just aquired this afternoon. Now he can empty more than just the bottom 2 drawers!
And I had to include this... She is totally asleep, chin propped up and everything! How can that be comfortable? By the way, that is MY cinderella costume she's wearing.
So last night I was on the computer, and Brody came in to destroy the room (this is his pattern, follow me around and destroy all in his path). Well before I could stop him he picked up my external hard-drive and dropped it. It made a funny noise, and now my computer doesn't see it. No big deal, except ALL MY PICTURES AND DATA ARE ON IT, AND NO WHERE ELSE!!! I am praying that there is some way to retrieve the data. I would be so sad if all the pictures from the last 5 years were lost forever! Little punk. He is so into everything right now, it's making me nuts!

My sister-in-law Annie called me this morning to tell me about her sweet little Callin's near drowning the other day. He is just 2 weeks younger than Brody. SO blessed that he is ok. Makes me hold my little terroizer a little closer, and just be glad that he is here to torment me! I'll pick up his messes forever!

Let's make it a birth-week!!

2008-10-13T14:06:00.000-07:00

So I have been trying to forget about my birthdays the last couple of years because I keep getting older, and it is just not a happy thing for me. But last Wednesday was my birthday, and I am officially 29 :( Luckily a few people made it really fun for me. With Zach's schedule, I don't get to go do fun things very much, and so any excuse to party was welcome! Wednesday I went to lunch with 2 of the best sister-in-laws anyone could ask for. Then Friday I went to dinner with a bunch of girlfriends and then to a movie. It was a blast! I love getting together with girls, it is just so fun. The movie we saw was so funny, too! I haven't belly-laughed like that in a theater in a long time! We stayed out way too late, but it was worth it! Then Saturday morning I went to brunch with some more friends. SOOO good! Seriously, the best gift ever was just to be with fun people and talk and laugh. So for all of you who made it so fun for me, thanks, and I LOVE YOU SO MUCH IT'S RETARDED!!! I guess you had to be there...

Awwww...

2008-09-22T22:45:00.000-07:00

Ava crashed here one day, and when Brody noticed her he couldn't resist climbing up for a snuggle. He is such a lover!
My poor little man! He grabbed my flat iron and got blisters on all his little fingers! I felt sooooo bad. This picture doesn't show nearly how bad it was. Poor kid!
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right? I am going to try to remember that when Ava comes up to me with 2 sparkly shoes on the wrong feet, 2 different clip on earings, 8 tangled necklaces (tied into her hair, no less), a big plastic ring, and a cell phone, and says, "look, Mommy! I'm a Mommy!" If this is what I look like, I need some help!
There is a theme! She passes out here quite often, and I love it!

My super talented Brother-In-Law!!!

2008-09-13T21:55:00.000-07:00

My Brother-in-law, Brent Slade was asked to open for the country Group, Lady Antebellum on Thursday, Sept. 11. His band Slade did an AWESOME job, and I was seriously impressed with how professional they sounded! And does he not look like a rock star!? Check out his website www.brentslade.blogspot.com

Seeing Lady Antebellum was a nice bonus! I didn't know much about them before the show, just 1 song I had heard on the radio. But let's be honest, I am usually driving around listening to primary music, so I don't even know what's going on out there in the music world anymore. But after seeing them live, I am sold! They were awesome! You know how some people sound great on the radio and then not so great live? Well not them! There are 2 main singers who kind of share lead singing, and they do some great duets! I am a sucker for a good duet:) And I sort of developed a crush on Charles... I fell in love with his voice! But seriously, they are awesome, and I am glad I got to go.
Me, Charles, Ali, Aimee and Emily after the show.
I had such a good time that I only care a little bit that I look like I weigh 300 lbs in this picture! Dave Heywood(isn't he cute?), Mark and Jami Baker, Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and me!

Check out this clip, i don't think the sound it that great, cuz I took it with my amatuer camera, but he really did a great job!

Crazy week & What My Kids Do When I'm Not Looking!!

2008-09-04T20:20:00.000-07:00

So I am at my friend Angie's house and we're just hangin out talking when we realize it's been a while since we heard from Ava and Kai. Further investigation found them in the bathroom with the door locked... When we finally got the door open, this is what we found. Ava and Kai with an ENTIRE BOTTLE OF HANDSOAP IN THEIR HAIR!!!!! Crazy kids, and Ava's hair was super-dry for like a week after that!
I walked into my family room to see Ava watching TV like this.... Nuff said.
Should I be worried that my son likes to put on 30 necklaces all the time?
I hear the water running in the bathroom, and after it being too long for hand-washing, this is what I found.
Ava begged me for these glitter-glue pens at Target. When we got home, she couldn't wait to use them, I get done putting groceries away, and look! Every ounce of glitter pen is on 1 peice of paper!!! It's a good thing they came from the $1 bin!

I had a totally crazy week last week that I am still recovering from... My mom and I decided to go to Utah to visit some family we haven't seen in a while, and for a little R&R. I got NONE of the R&R. Traveling with 2 small children is never a treat, but they were actually pretty good the whole time. We stayed at a different relative's house every night (my aunt's idea of a good time), so I had to load and unload the car twice a day. Super Fun! Did you catch the sarcasm? So I was basically a zombie getting hardly any sleep. But I did get to see some cousins I haven't seen in a while, so it was cool.

I took the kids to the Hogle Zoo and I have to say, it totally trumps the Phoenix Zoo! All the animals were so close! It was fun, and Brody said "isaraff", translation, "It's a giraffe!" We also went to this awesome children's museum called the Gateway Discovery Museum. We sat and talked for hours while the kids played! They were so totally engrossed with all the fun stuff to do they never even came over to where we were sitting. I totally recommend it.

I also started reading "The Host" while I was there, and LOVED IT!

2 Major dampers on the fun were that I forgot to take any pictures, BUMMER! And then Friday night, I was looking for my wallet, and it was nowhere to be found! We looked everywhere and I am still hoping someone will find it. Yeah, so my ID, my ss card, all my credit cards, my temple recommend, library card, insurance card, luckily only $10 cash, everything, GONE! I was totally freaking out because I knew I could not get on a plane without ID, so I called the TSA and I had to go thru special bomb-sniffing screening, and they went through everything in my bag, but eventually let me on. I was so relieved! I have never been so scared of not being able to get home! At least I wasn't out of the country. Now I am just going through the hassle of replacing everything I lost. No fun. But at least I got home!

Long overdue!

2008-08-20T16:12:00.000-07:00

Ok, so blogging has been brushed aside as I have been super busy with too many other things, but I'm back! And thanks to Sally, I now know how to make my blog cute. I don't know how all of you have time to sit and figure out all these fun things, but I don't, so I need clear directions, and now I think I might be able to change it up a bit. Sally even changed the name of my blog for fun.. Sheri Talks Smack... Ha ha, but I guess it's true. I am a whiner and complainer, so I'll leave it there for a while!

My girls...

2008-07-14T21:53:00.001-07:00

Cat and me waiting to surprise Janeice for her 29th birthday!! Are we really that old?! NOPE, SHE IS!!! ( I still have 3 good months before I enter the last year of my 20's) ARG!
GC, Cat and me.
Is that not the funnest cake ever?
Lizzy, Cat and Me(& Brody!) Last December during not-so-happy times...
Me, Lizzy, Cat and Lindsey leaving for our 10 year reunion...

So I grew up with 4 brothers and NO SISTERS! (Luckily I married a guy with some pretty fantastic sisters, so that helps) But I have really always felt like I was missing out on something. Don't get me wrong, brothers are great, but who's gonna tell you you need your lip waxed, or yes, those jeans do make your butt look big? I think only a sister can do that without hurting your feelings. I am always jealous when I watch my friends with their sisters, there is just something about that bond that I definitely lack. But how lucky am I to know that I do have these great girls who know all the worst things about me, and still love me anyway? I love my friends! Sometimes we go a really long time without talking because life just gets busy, and we've all headed different ways, but when we do talk, it's like no time has gone by since the last time we talked. We've all been through hard times, some harder than others, and it is the most comforting thing to know that I have them, even if I can't call them sisters, they are still "my girls". Thanks for being the best friends any girl could ask for!

(Not pictured are 2 of my other favorite people in the world, Angie and Sarah, and I just realized I have no pictures with either of them!)

4 Steps!!!!!

2008-06-28T01:52:00.000-07:00

So fun! So I was at the mall with my mom and dad, my brother and SIL, playin with the kids in the play-place. Brody was holding onto the bench and he turned around and took 2 steps toward me before falling over! That was his first attempt ever!!!! Then suddenly he could take 4 steps!? I seriously thought it would be another couple of months before this mellow boy would be interested in walking! But I guess he decided he was a big boy, and now it's time to show Mommy! Way to go Bro! And I am sorry, but is he not the cutest kid you've ever seen?!

Down in the RP...

2008-06-10T21:45:00.000-07:00

We had sooo much fun in Rocky Point this last week. The kids were just is heaven, Brody ate lots of sand, it was great! I wish we could live at the beach! Half the time I didn't even know where Ava was, she would just run off with her cousins playing the day away. Then the night came and all the kids would sleep, and us big kids would stay up late playing and talking. SO great. Zach (aka Critter Catcher) caught a baby sting ray, and a pretty big crab. He kept them for a while showing all the kids on the beach, then let them go. Fun was had by all, aside from Emily and Calie's near drowning/flashing everyone on the beach experience, which I am sure will be a story to be told over and over for years to come! See next post for more pics....

Continued....

2008-06-10T21:40:00.000-07:00

the huge crab...
Ava in her "beach" dress...
Chip face...
the "triplets"...
...and their bums...

Things that bug me!!!!

2008-05-19T22:19:00.000-07:00

Ok, so any of you mom's who nursed their babies totally know what I am talkin about! My friend sent this to me and I about died! SOOO TRUE! Thank heaven for push-up bras and plastic surgery! Ha ha!

Anyway, I was just posting a comment on my friend's blog, and I had to type in the stupid string of letters where it says "This blog does not allow anonymous comments." And I thought, "How dumb is this? Seriously, any idiot can type the string of letters in front of them, it wouldn't matter whether they knew you or were a chester! Does it really make these comments any more secure? NO!" It is just something to waste my time and bug me! SO I thought I would be a whiner and make a list of the things bugging me... In no particular order.... dum da da dum...

1. Saggy boobs! It's a sick joke that is being played on my body!

2. Dumb letter strings!

3. Having a husband who works graveyards. So he's gone at night, which is a bummer, but then he is basically gone the next day, too, to sleep. No fun for the "single" mom! But I guess we are lucky he has a job, right?

4. Girls whose stomachs are flat 2 weeks after they have a baby!

5. keeping my kids quiet during the day so my husband can sleep. It's hard! They are little and they have outbursts! Oh, yeah, and I can never vacuum! Someone is always sleeping when I have time to do it!

6. Laundry. There are like a millions steps to laundry! It NEVER ENDS! first, you gather it, then you sort it, then you put it in the washer, then the dryer, then you fold it, then you put it away... OK so that was only 6 steps, but I have ADHD, how am I supposed to do all that!

7. Trying to clean while my kids are around. It is a waste of my energy. As soon as I pick something up to put it away, it is the most interesting thing is the house and has to come back out.

8. Grocery shopping. Again with the million steps! First you have to figure out what you need, then you load the kids up and go, then you load the kids into the cart, then you go through the store to find everything you need (and if you shop at the same Walmart I do, they are ALWAYS out of the most important thing on your list), load the groceries on the checkout, then load them back into your cart, then load them into your car, then take them from the car to the house, then put them away! Wheww! That is a workout, and I have ADHD all over again!

9. When I am waiting to turn left and I slightly inch forward, and the person who is turning right coming toward me freaks out and stops, NOW WE BOTH CAN'T GO! you have the right of way, JUST GO!

10. I don't get to go to the movies very often, so I'll rent all the movies I never got to go to. Well, there will be a funny movie preview, it's PG-13, so i rent it, and the UNRATED VERSION shows up. I did not pay attention to this and this movie is supposed to be PG-13, and suddenly I am watching porn! What the heck!? And you can't even get the theater version! SO ANNOYING! A movie that would have totally been funny without all the nekedness, ruined!

11. When other people's kids' poop on me(It happened today!). My own kids poop is gross enough, but for some reason, someone else's kid is a million times worse!

12. When we are getting ready for church and my husband wanders in wondering why I am not ready! Hello! I have to get 3 people ready and pack a bag of things and treats to keep 2 of them occupied for 3 hours, all while he gets 1 person ready. Getting the kiddos ready is not what bugs me, it's the "why aren't you ready yet?" BECAUSE I DIDN'T GET ANY HELP!

13. So I told Zach he was getting a little bit of a gut. Rude of me, I know. But he starts working out more and cuts back a little on the MT DEW. Only has some when he works all night. In 2 weeks he's lost 10 lbs and looks great... I totally diet and go nuts working out, and my boobs shrivel up and die, but my butt is still the size of Texas (and that is being rude to TX)! Why is life so unfair?!

14. I always get behind the person at Walmart who is price-matching EVERYTHING in her cart! Seriously, warn me! I'll go wait in the other of the only 2 lines open.

Ok, so there are lots more things that bug me but I think I have been a whiner long enough... really, life is good, and I don't have anything real to complain about.

Marble Canyon

2008-05-07T22:22:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went to St George for Uncle Rusty's funeral with my parents and my kids (Zach had to work as always). The kids were a little sick of the car so we had to stop a few times to give them a break. We stopped and walked across the old bridge at Marble Canyon and the kids LOVED IT! Brody couldn't get enough of holding onto the side and the wind blowing in his face. He also loved looking 700 ft down at the little Colorado river, which made me a little naseated! There were people rafting down there and Ava was mad at them that they didn't bring her in their boat!

Last Week's Fairy Tale Ballet

2008-05-01T12:24:00.000-07:00

Last Friday the girls danced to a Little Mermaid song. Ava is getting quite good, too. I am actually surprised at her ability to follow the choreography. To me, there is nothing cuter than a bunch of little girls dancing and loving it! Her new favorite word is arabesque. WHAT?! Ava is 2nd from the right in the white tu-tu.

Diarrhea cha cha cha...

2008-04-30T21:57:00.000-07:00

Having sick kids is oh so fun! Brody has been throwing up and has diarrhea and I seriously feel like all I have been doing is cleaning up poop and barf... Being a mom is so fun sometimes! I really wanted to go out with the girls tonight, but it appears my destiny is a little messier tonight... Bummer. I am sure you have all been there!

Brody walking(sort of)

2008-04-15T16:22:00.000-07:00

Brody has stayed a "baby" a lot longer than Ava did. It is so funny to me that he is just not motivated to try crawling... So when he actually tried to push his walking toy all by himself, I got so excited that I had to tape it, and please disregard my lovely baby-talk voice. I was very excited. He is getting to the point where he can communicate what he wants now, he points and grunts at things. And he talks a lot of baby talk, which is really funny. His fovorite thing is to play in the sand with his favorite rake(which he carries everywhere). He is such a sweet kid and gives the best hugs! I am so lucky he was sent to me! Now, if he would just sleep past 6 am, we'd be sooo happy!

Happy Birthday to the Best Grammie in the Whole Wide World!!

2008-04-13T09:25:00.000-07:00

Ava is so excited to wish you a happy birthday, Grammie, that she is helping me with this post! (I use the term helping very loosley!) We miss you so much and hope you have a wonderful day. We wish we could come all the way to Africa to help you celebrate! We love you!

Ballet Photo

2008-03-30T12:44:00.000-07:00

Pretty Princesses waiting for their performance!
From left, Taylen, Ruby and Ava(who's tu-tu is entirely too high!)

Fairy Tale Ballet

2008-03-30T12:34:00.000-07:00

Ava started her first dance class called Fairy Tale Ballet. Every week they learn a new dance about a new Princess Fairy Tale and it is so cute! They get to dress up and dance... What little girl would not be in heaven!? Her two favorite friends, Ruby and Taylen are in her class. Taylen is the tiny one(far left) singing and doing her own thing, Ava is next to her, then another little girl, then Ruby in purple. Ruby is quite the dancer, I might add. Her little sister Sadie just had to join in there at the end. Poor thing just wanted to dance with the big girls! Click on the link to watch the performance. Sorry, I can't get it to show up here because it is video from Carrie(who was prepared anad had her camera when I forgot mine!)http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc241/carriearchibald/?action=view&current=MOV04057.flv

School's Out for-EVER!

2008-03-23T13:13:00.000-07:00

Annie, Me, Brody, Zach and Aimee

Do you like Zach's pretty flower? He was kind of considered the prankster of his class, and there was a girl who always wore a huge flower in her hair for clinicals and she got in touble for it, so Zach decided to wear one to the pinning ceremony...

Her hair caught fire during the pledge!

We couldn't get a good pic of all of us....

Ok, so it's not out forever, but for this particular degree, it is finished! I am sure this video will be so fun for all of you to watch. Really, it's for Zach's parents in Africa, because they really wished they could see this. I think they are almost as proud of Zach as I am. When the students came walking in, it was all I could do to not ball like a baby! It's been a long road and I am just sooo happy that this leg of it is done. It will be so nice to have Zach around more, and not have him so stressed and busy all the time. We are so proud of him!

Kids say the darndest things!

2008-03-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

Ava has said some cute things lately, and she is just growing up so fast that I have to put them down so we don't forget them...

After about 2 weeks being a Sunbeam, I asked her if she liked being a Sunbeam. She said, "No, I wanna be a Twinkle, twinkle Little Star."

I asked her who Joseph Smith is (she has been watching her "Living Scriptures" Movies-thanks Annie!) and she said, "Josep Smif a Poppet, an I wanna see him at Disneyland!"

She has eczema on her bum and legs, and the other day she climbed into bed with us and said, "Daddy, I have eggs on my bum!"

I watch a little boy named Nicky, and he has a speech delay and he is really hard to understand. Sometimes I say, "What the heck are you saying?" We were driving somewhere the other day and Nicky was trying to tell her something, and she said, "Nicky, what da heck you say?" Oops.

After watching Cinderella the other day she said, "Mommy, I want to have wonderful dreams." and later, "I am so happy."

WEEEE!

2008-03-07T21:14:00.001-08:00

All my posts have been about Ava, and my sweet little boy gets no love, so I just have to show how cute Brody is in the swing for the first time! He loved it! He was giggling like crazy, and then we turned the camera on and he was so quiet! So you missed the good giggles, sorry. But he is still the cutest (and sweetest) baby ever!

2008-03-07T19:59:00.000-08:00

Zach, my brother David and I took the kids to McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park in Scottsdale a few weeks ago. They can ride the train, the carousel, and play in the various playground areas till their little hearts content! It was so fun!

Princesses on Ice

2008-01-31T13:36:00.000-08:00

Ava and I went to Princesses on Ice in January as one of her Christmas presents. She loved it and did not sit down the whole time! Toward the end, she and her cousin Courtenay got a little scared of the fire-breathing dragon from Sleeping Beauty! It was such a fun thing to do with her! Aren't they cute!?

Ava's 3rd Birthday

2008-01-02T13:47:00.000-08:00

Ava turned 3 on December 9th(or December night as she likes to call it). She had a Pretty Princess party with her favorite Princess friends(Taylen Archibald, Ruby Jensen, Cailyn Copple, Bella Green, Courtenay Lee & last but certainly not least, Olivia Slade). Who knew a bunch of 3 year-olds, some balloons, and "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" could be so hilarious?! Ava had an Ariel cake and had so much fun with her friends!