The great flood...

Here is the culprit.... a toilet with a faulty*float valve* (that's man talk for the thing that fills the toilet full of water again after you flush) How long has the float valve had a problem??? over a year... I can see all of your eyes bulging simultaneously as you read the words... I know it is hard to believe that a husband as wonderful and amazing as mine is, would put off working on the toilet. but in his defense he did fix the same problem in *my* bathroom and then got burned out on touching toilet yuck for a year.. give the man a break!! *oh and by my bathroom, I mean I will NEVER share a bathroom with a man. any man. they are filthy disgusting creatures when it comes to things that happen in bathrooms, and I will have NO part in it. I would rather get a bladder infection from holding it too long, or go pee in the yard than set foot in the germ sanctuary that is the boys bathroom*

So long story short... My sweet husband, (who I love) came home from work to do some business in the bathroom, when he was done, he flushed the toilet (just like I taught him) He was in a hurry to get back to work, so he rushed out... forgetting about aforementioned faulty valve... Now here comes the very unfortunate part... Apparently whatever business was being attended to in the bathroom was quite... well lets just say the toilet got plugged... and the valve got stuck. (God hates me I swear it!) and so .... do you see where this is going people???

Toilet water, icky nasty toilet water began spilling over the toilet... hours pass... then Brittany and Chantel walk into my room and feel the squish... upon further investigation the discover that there is a problem... Brittany can't find her phone (SHOCKING) and, oh it gets better! She makes the executive decision that it would be wise to walk to Grandma's house and call dad... that would be great except for the fact that the toilet is gushing water faster than old faithful and grandma lives 8 blocks away. Why not just go to a neighbors??? The inner workings of a 13 year old's mind is just somewhere I don't want to venture.. so in the end the gushing was stopped, and the carpet was soggy. we are drying it out now, and the lovely carpet cleaning man will be here on Monday to suck out the poo. Oh and the icing on the cake... This carpet was just installed about 4 months ago... LOVELY.

Seeing RED

BEFORE

AFTER

Read the last post to see Brittany's new do.

britty's new do...

BEFORE


the whole trick to before and after pictures is: you want to make the before picture look as horrible as possible, that way, no matter how bad the after picture is, it will still be better than the before.

AFTER

See??? Gorgeous! Britty was very brave, she butched off about 9 inches... WOW!! I am thinking... is this chick really only 13??? This cut makes her look VERY mature. YIKES! She does look adorable though!

pray always...

Dear Lord,

Thank you for:

eyes, and all the beautiful things to look at.

Noses, and all the yummy smells.

Touch, And all the rough, slimey, smooth, and fluffy things.

Ears, and so many rythms

Taste, and all the delicious foods, especially chocolate and popcorn.

Love, and all the ups and downs it brings.

The hard times, So I can appreciate it when things are going smooth.

Sadness, because without it, I could never have experienced true joy.

Trust, because I could never make it on my own.

Silence, How truely golden it is.

The plan of salvation, and the peace it brings to my heart.

anticipation, and always giving me something to look forward to, even if it is simply the sun rising on a brand new day.

Miracles, and the ability to recognize them.

Please Grant me:

the ability to wake up tomorrow and face any challenges that are in store for me. Help me to keep a smile on my face and a prayer in my heart. Please help me to enjoy each moment, and to know it is a precious gift. Help me tomorrow to do better.

Help me keep my cool when Chantel spills, because we both know she will.

Help me be patient with Drayden when I tell him no more Star Wars and he has a meltdown, because we both know he will.

Help me to speak kind words to Brittany when she tells me how horrible and unfair her day has been, because we both know she will.

and Lord, help me to show my husband that I love him more than words, because we both know I do.

amen.

25 Main

Kids Linguini Alfredo... $3.25

Mom & Britt's Club sandwichs' $4.65

Cupcakes......... $ 1.75 (or $1 on tuesday nights)

A day with the kids...... you guessed it! PRICELESS!!

We went to lunch at the new Cake shop in Downtown St. George. I thought it was wonderful. The decor was adorable, very old fashioned and vintage. The food was cheap and DELICIOUS! The cupcakes were UNBELIEVABLE!! I highly recomend it. I like it because it is very laid back and fun. The kids took alot of the photos, forgive the messy hair and no makeup, we were headed to the pool! I love hanging out with my kids, they are the best, honestly they just make my day.

I LOVE my family!!

Brinkerhoff Reunion '09

Mitch's family is awesome!! I am such a lucky girl to have inherited such great in-laws and extended family. When little boys and girls get disruptive and don't mind... we just tie them to a tree!! lol!
Chantel showing her true colors...

Brittany and her cousin lounging after riding 4-wheelers all morning.

Chantel and Kelsey are two peas in a pod, I mean seriously look at those faces!! Do they not just scream "Mischief"!!

Chantel was so excited when she talked Uncle Sean into taking her for a ride!! Sean is slightly less enthusiastic, but Chantel just has a way of turning on the charm with him.

Drayden playing with Jax, What a cool cousin he is!!

I loved this one, it just really captures the joy that you can have when there is nothing to distract you. I loved having Chantel's hair in braids too, I didn't have to touch it the entire time. It was awesome!!

Who gets the award for "most excited camper"?? DRAYDEN!!

Mitch with his dad and brothers, I think it is so important to have pictures like this.

Family is the most important thing in the world to me. The night I got home from the reunion I got a voicemail telling me that my cousin's husband passed away. I was shocked! He was only a few years older than me. It is just incredible to me how quickly life can change. He was out on the lake with his boys and they jumped out for a swim. The lake was cold and they were soon in trouble, they couldn't get back to the boat. They called for help, the boys were rescued, but their daddy didn't make it. He truely gave his life for his kids. I cherish every moment I get, because you seriously never know when your time is up. My thoughts and prayers go out to Shaunna, and her three boys, May god be with you and help you feel comfort and love in this difficult time. Everyone go kiss your husband and your kids, no matter what they have done today or ever to frustrate you, it is just not worth wasting precious time being angry. Live each day, like it is your last.

campout!!

Picture it...[cue spooky music & Haloween voice] It was a hot dry desert night... the kids were bored, mom and dad were tired. When all of a sudden from the darkness emerged.... "The Red Demon".... lol!!

Drayden was having so much fun scaring us... he would jump out and say boo, he would try to think up scary stories... I thought it was adorable!!


He even got daddy spooked ;) while he was setting up the tent trailer for us.

Here we are getting ready to roast up some marshmallows to make smores!! yummy! If you have been living under a rock and don't know the best way to make smores, I will tell ya,

Get the Keebler fudge stripe cookies, (way less mess, and still super delicious)... Roast the mallow, grab two cookies and squish it all together..

Me and my mallow, I am so excited here because I allowed myself to cheat on my diet. See I have the raised eyebrows, the fixed smile and those crazy eyes, trying not to make contact with the sugary goodness that is just inches away. After not having any sugar for quite some time you can bet I devoured this sucker once it was all golden brown... sugar has never tasted so good.

Chantel and her double mallows [cue crocodile hunter voice] a rare shot of this wild beast in her natural habitat... Careful not to get too close, you might disturb her, and trust me you DONT want that!! This creature can get very angry if you interupt her feeding time. lol

Dray~diggety~dog and his double mallows. [plus his wicked cool personality ;)]

Brittany shoving a mallow up her nose... lol.... just kidding, it does look like it though huh?

Daddy lighting my fire... [waggling eyebrows] er um I mean the Campfire, right the campfire...

Why do we not have a fire ring you may ask?? Do we not practice safe camping skills??

Well my friends, we went camping in our own front yard, thats right!! Cause movies and gas are expensive and hanging out with your family is FREE!! (minus the $3 we spent on smores)

Would you rather go see a movie or would you rather create the kind of memories that make you and your kids look back and laugh when you say...

"Remember the time when we......"

Summer Rewind

I love looking back at pictures of my kiddos. I love to remember all of the sticky summer days, filled with popsicles and cotton candy. I love the dirty toes and the sound of fireworks.

I love the giggles, and the long nights filled with games and bbq. I love hanging out with friends and helping my kids find the big dipper in the stary sky.

I love the love that summer brings, and I hope to never forget these times. Truely we are having the time of our lives..... have a safe 4th of July!!