What have you been up to?

Thanks for tagging me Em, I feel special now:)
Rules are: Anything you have done has to be in bold. How much have you done?

1. Started your own blog

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor shower

6. Given more than you can afford to charity

7. Been to Disneyland

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a Praying Mantis

10. Sang a solo

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm at sea

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child

16.Had food poisoning

17. Been to the Statue of Liberty

18. Grown your own vegetables

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an train

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Hitch hiked

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice-does the pretend one in the Venetian count?

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors

35. Seen an Amish community

36. Taught yourself a new language

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing- I went but didn't actually do it, I'm a wimp.

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Africa - um, no thanks

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight


46. Been transported in an ambulance


47. Had your portrait painted


48. Gone deep sea fishing


49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person


50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris


51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling


52. Kissed in the rain


53. Played in the mud


54. Gone to a drive-in theater


55. Been in a movie


56. Visited the Great Wall of China


57. Started a business


58. Taken a martial arts class


59. Visited Russia


60. Served at a soup kitchen


61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies


62. Gone whale watching


63. Got flowers for no reason


64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma


65. Gone sky diving


66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp


67. Bounced a check


68. Flown in a helicopter


69. Saved a favorite childhood toy


70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial


71. Eaten Caviar


72. Tied a quilt


73. Stood in Times Square


74. Toured the Everglades


75. Been fired from a job


76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London


77. Broken a bone


78. Been on a speeding motorcycle


79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person


80. Published a book


81. Visited the Vatican


82. Bought a brand new car


83. Walked in Jerusalem


84. Had your picture in the newspaper


85. Read the entire Bible


86. Visited the White House


87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating


88. Had chickenpox - I had to miss my third grade fieldtrip, it was a bummer.


89. Saved someone’s life


90. Sat on a jury


91. Met someone famous


92. Joined a book club


93. Lost a loved one


94. Had a baby


95. Seen the Alamo in person


96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake - sad considering it's about five minutes away.


97.Been involved in a law suit


98. Owned a cell phone


99. Been stung by a bee


100. Visited Italy


Wow, I think I need to get out more! I tag Kim, Mindy, Kelli

Cute little girl!

Collin came out of his room last night and told me that he is a "gril" now because he can wear Macie's hoodie. I had to take a picture because he looked so hilarious. What a kid!

Ready or not, here it comes!

So apparently I am not cool enough to be tagged by Em Day but I am going to do her tag anyway. Now that Thanksgiving is over and it's time to officially start getting ready for Christmas I really need to try to get into the Christmas spirit.
Sunday, November 16, 2008

Okay, here's what you're supposed to do, and try not to be a SCROOGE!!! Just copy to your blog and change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then tag whomever you choose.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I always wrap my Christmas presents. I love to wrap(thanks to Elliotts Pharmacy), I love finding the perfect paper and doing big bows.
2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial, I think real ones stink are are way too messy.
3. When do you put up the tree? Whenever Grant feels the urge to carry it upstairs. Usually right after Thanksgiving. Last year Grant had to put up the tree and decorate it by himself because I couldn't get off the couch (I was pregnant with Macie).
4. When do you take the tree down? After New Years. I put it off because I hate doing it.
5. Do you like Egg Nog? I love it! I can't hardly wait for the stores to get it every year. Then as soon as one of me or my sister spot it we call everyone and tell them. As a kid we grew up eating homemade Egg Nog shakes as a huge treat around the holidays. It's one of my favorites.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Probably dolls. I was way into them as a little girl and always got one every year for Christmas. I can't wait for Santa to bring Macie her first baby this year.
7. Hardest person to buy for? Grant's parents.. They want it...they buy it.
8. Easiest person to buy for? My kids. Collin gets excited about any little dumb thing and Macie doesn't have a clue yet so she gets what I buy.
9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, we must be reminded of the reason for the season.
10. Mail or email Christmas cards? I usually mail them the day before Christmas. I am going to try to be on the ball this year.
11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Two words: Gloosie/Ceramics
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Christmas Vacation all the way!
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually Black Friday.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No, knowing me I would give it back to the person that gave it to me in the first place.
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Probably my mom's Lemon Bread.
16. Lights on the tree? White. Not to offend anyone but I think the colored ones look a little weird.
17. Favorite Christmas song? A Christmas to Remember by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Pardon.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? We stay at home on Christmas Eve and then go to my moms Christmas Day.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Who can't?
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? I have this way cute rusty star.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? On Christmas Eve we always open pajamas and then the rest on Christmas morning.
22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Crazy traffic and long store lines.
23. Favorite ornament theme or color? I have all these cute metal cut out ornaments that look old and rusty. Hard to explain but really are super cute.
24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? My mom's yummy ham and cheesey potatoes.
25. Favorite family Christmas tradition? All growing up we would go to my Grandma B.'s house
for a huge breakfast with the whole Braithwaite clan. I really miss that!

I tag my sisters and anyone else who wants to.

So Thankful!

Nicki tagged me a few days ago to list 27 things I am grateful for. Now that Thanksgiving is over I am finally getting around to doing it. Oh well, at least it was only yesterday. I still want to take a minute to recognize all of my many blessings.
1. Grant
2. Collin & Macie
3. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
4. My amazing mom
5. My sissies
6. Family
7. My house, even though some say I live in the hood.
8. The phone, (to talk to my mom and sisters a million times a day).
9. My car
10. My yard
11. Primary (My calling)
12. Contact lenses
13. My bed
14. Grant's business
15. Music
16. Friends
17. Disposable diapers
18. The Computer and Internet
19. TV and Tivo
20. Chocolate
21. Weekends because Grant's home.
22. Pajamas
23. Toothpaste
24. Plastic mattress covers (for 3 year olds)
25. Frozen food
26. Washer and Dryer
27. Diesel

I am not going to tag anyone because I think it may be a little late.

New tricks!

So I am a little behind on posting these days. I can't seem to find much free time. I never got around to posting Halloween pictures and on October 24th Macie turned 4 months old. I took some cute pictures of her on that day with Mindy's camera because of course mine was dead as always, and "SOMEBODY" won't email them to me. But I'm not naming any names. Anyway, these are some other recent pictures of Macie I have taken doing some things she does now.

She smiles super big...especially at her mom.

When I prop her up in the corner of the couch she will lean forward so she is sitting up.

She can sit in her Bumbo really well.

She can wear her baseball hat.
(Not really but Collin thinks it is so great that he puts his hat on her all the time)

Funny or Weird?

I have always considered Collin to be a pretty funny kid. He says really funny things and is always making us laugh. However, after he came out of his bedroom last night wearing pajama bottoms, a polo top, goggles, flip flops, a hat and one glove, and requesting that I take his picture like that... I realized that I think weird may be a little better way to describe him. What a kid! Also, I have been waiting for the day he could dress himself thinking how nice that would be for me. I have quickly come to realize that this is not such a great thing after all and now wish that he could not. I believe yesterday alone he wore about four different outfits, three pairs of pajamas, and eight pair of socks.

Cornbelly's

Last Friday we took the kids to Cornbelly's. Mindy and Michael came with us and we had a blast. Well I did, I hope they did too. Collin thought it was the greatest thing ever!

We will definetly be going back next year.

Collin and Grant on the slide.
Don't ask me what Grant is doing?


Mindy and Micheal doing their funny faces as usual. It's impossible to get a serious picture of them.

The balloon man made Collin a sword. I thought Grant was going to die when the guy asked him what color he wanted and Collin said purple.

Micheal's car broke down so he gets around town in a little tractor these days.

Farmer Grant and his wife Collin.

Grant looked a little funny on the train from behind. I think he may have been a little too big.

We only got about half way through the monster when Collin started crying he was scared. We had to detour out the emergency exit. The entire way home he kept saying, "that monster weally scared me. I don't like that monster".

Macie had fun until she got cold.

Grant and Collin on the tractor train ride.

Collin loved the duck races.

Collin got chosen out of many kids to race a pig. His pig won so he got a pig nose to wear.

Collin loved the pumkin princess only because she gave him candy.

Riding the little bikes.

I'm not exactly sure what this is...a dragon or dinosaur??

Collin and Michael in the big rocking chair.

Collin's It!

1. Collin loves the movie "Hairspray" and asks to watch it on a regular basis.

2. Collin loves to sing and will walk around the house singing "She's in love with the boy", "Strawberry Wine", and Eighteen wheeler...roll on". (This is thanks to Nicki who made me CD's with all these songs.)

3. Collin is an extremely picky eater. He doesn't like most foods that children usually like but loves shrimp scampi and crab legs.

4. Collin's favorite movie is "Cars" and he can recite most of the lines from it.

5. Collin is a major blanky boy and he HAS to have his it to go to sleep. No other blanket will do because his has fuzzies that he has to hold on to while he sucks him thumb. There are only two fuzzies that he likes and he knows exactly which two they are. He will search his entire blanket over until he finds one of them. It is hilarious to watch, I know, it's a little strange.

Collin tags Kody, Brynlie, Forbes, Reddek, and Jovie

Picture Day

I finally got around to taking Collin to get his birthday pictures. Of course I had to get Macie's done too because she already looks so different from her last ones. I think they turned out pretty cute considering it's nearly impossible to get either of them to hold still for 2 seconds.

Picture Tag

This is a strange and random picture but the 4th folder on my computer was our girls trip to Vegas last summer. The 4th picture was this one of the roller coaster at New York New York. I had to take a picture of it to show Grant how big of a roller coaster I actually went on (he thinks I am a wimp, which I am). This is sort of a boring one...sorry.

Nicki tagged me with this one where you find your 9th folder and 22nd picture. It's a little more fun. This is Macie at about 2 months old. I can't believe how much she has already changed.

Half Naked Pirate

So I debated on posting this picture because I think blogs are supposed to be G-rated and this clearly isn't, but it was just too funny not to...and hey, he's three. So I come upstairs from doing laundry the other night and Collin is glued to the TV wearing his pirate hat, holding his gun, and half naked. He looked so hilarious that I had to take his picture. Lately after he goes potty he refuses to put his pants on wants to run around naked. I guess he had just gone potty and Grant was so into the movie that he had not even noticed.

Chadder's

So my sisters and I will find any excuse we can to get together. Well last night I was bored because Grant was working late so I decided that my sisters and I should meet for dinner in American Fork (that is about half way for all of us). We decided to try out Chadder's and see how it compares to In-N-Out. It was pretty good and we had a great time. It is so fun that we are only about an hour away from each other and that the three of us can get together any ol' time (our poor dear husbands). Now if only Nicki were a little closer.

Collin and Matty enjoying some delicious food.

Me and kim trying to hide the food in our mounths.

Bynda LOVED the fries!

Collin was super wound up...Thanks Uncle Matt!

Mindy and Michael being funny.

Nobody would give Macie anything to eat so she had to eat her shirt.

Mindy and Michael pose for a picture to be put on Chadder's billboard sign.

Cute Binners!

Hogle Zoo

For Collin's birthday Grant took the day off so that we could do something as a family. Collin chose to go to lunch at Olive Garden and then go to the zoo. We had a really fun day together.

Grant and Collin on the train ride.

Collin got to pet a snake. He wasn't afraid at all.

Collin posing for a picture on the tigers.

There was a new baby monkey there, it was so cute and fun to watch.

Collin loved the Giraffes!

Diesel

Grant has been bugging me for the last few years about getting a dog. I am not an animal person and would rather not have one more thing to clean up after. I knew that if Grant got a dog I would end up feeding it and taking care of it. Well our bishop's dog had lab puppies and he convinced Grant to get one. He basically just brought it home one night and said we were keeping it. He is a pretty good little dog and very cute but I am still not too thrilled. Collin loves him though and it gives him someone to play with so that part is good.

Our new little puppy Diesel.

Happy Birthday Collin!

Collin turned 3 on September 23rd. I can't believe that my little boy who was just born yesterday is already 3. Anyway, he really wanted a John Deere birthday (he is obsessed with tractors) so I attempted to make a cake. It turned out better than I thought. I should probably become a professional cake decorator.

The birthday boy with his cake. Isn't he so big?
I have no idea where the pictures of him blowing out candles and opening
presents are. They must be on my sisters camera.