Food For Thought...

Everyone in the church knows who has ever prepared a talk how many amazing quotes and stories our dear little Prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley has left us with. I have been on a reading rampage so that I won't ever forget how AMAZING Pres. Hinckley is. As I am reading a bunch of material I find this and LOVE LOVE LOVE it! It is from Marjorie, his wife. I want to be more like her cuz she was just as awesome as her husband!

"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautifully, tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails. I want to drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp. I want to be there with grass stains on my shoes from mowing Sister Schenck's lawn. I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making sandwiches for a sick neighbor's children. I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping to weed someones garden. I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and tears of a friend on my shoulder. I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived." -Marjorie Pay Hinckley, wife of the prophet.

Makes ya want that too doesn't it?!?

Meet Squirt

OK what was I thinking??? I had this client come get her hair done a few weeks ago. She was telling me about this cute little turtle she had and was going to take it to the pet store. It was her daughters and she had moved to China or something and she (my client) was sick of taking care of it. So she said very nicely, "do you think your boys would want a pet turtle?" Of course Dawson's ears perked right up and he gets all excited... YES YES PLEASE OH PLEASE! Then I ask how do you go about taking care of this type of turtle? She gives me the 411 and I think oh how bad can it be? SURE! (hoping that gma won't mind a turtle in the basement of her home)
ANYONE LOOKING FOR A PET TURTLE?? He is cute and quiet and has a little tank of his own and he REEKS! I can't handle it anymore! I have cleaned his "home" 2 times now and both times thought I was going to toss my lunch!
I really need to clean him up again cuz the boys tell me he stinks so bad. (i don't even go near him anymore) but I can't bring myself to do it. Does anyone know if I could just drop him off at the pet shop....and run?? My mom told me to set him free outside (in the -23 degree) weather and that is that. I am not an animal fan but I couldn't do that to Squirt! Anyways, if ya know of anyone who wants a smelly tiny turtle named Squirt, let me know!

I Love To See the Temple

(picture by Berta, THIS is her site!)

I have been meaning to post this little blurb for awhile now but just got to doing it. We went to the open house last week and of course it was BEAUTIFUL! I love the simplicity of it yet the perfection in every detail. The boys were in awhhh. Cole couldn't get over the AMAZING chandeliers. "SPAWKLY" was what he said over and over. What a beautiful sight driving towards Rexburg during the day and especially at night... it glows! The feeling inside was undeniably special. (pictures by Berta, they are awesome! ... click HERE for her site.)

Changing my ways

So having a 4 year old is FUN.... it also helps you realize your shortcomings all the time. I am sure everyone that has a 4 year old or knows one hears them say funny things all the time. Daws cracks me up through out the day. Here is a little situation...

So today he whacked his arm on the counter and said
Daws-OUCH!
Me- Are you ok buddy?
Daws- That hurt SOOO bad!
Me- I am glad you are soo tough that you didn't even cry!
Daws- Mom?
Me-What Dawson?
Daws- When you get hurt why do you say "SON OF A B!"?
Me- uhhhhhh cuz I'm naughty???

I have also realized how often I call my boys "crazy". At church on Sunday this cute little lady says to Dawson, Hey there, you sure are a handsome man!" Daws says back to her, "Thanks CRAZY lady!" I just said oh sorry, I call him that so he thinks it is a nice word... he really doesn't know what it means.. uhhh haaa uhhh see ya...

Gotta love em!

Feeling Better!

This is Cole a few nights ago.......

This is Coley tonight!

Boring huh???

Okay SO my husband informed me today that my posts have been boring lately! So I have decided to just excite the heck out of him with this one...
Here are a few fun facts about my Dear Husband.
He loves soda! Any kind, any temp, any day of the week!
He likes to try different foods, as in, Mediterranean, Indian, Moroccan, Albanian, and any other foreign food you can think of. As a matter of fact he thought that my trip to China was such a wasted trip because I would panic when they put something SCARY on my plate and would make deals with my cousin Becca if she ate it for me... like shark fin soup, lobster, and some duck fat and skin WITH the head still attached! (she did get a free hair/cut and color out of that trip! Luckily she was JUST home from her mission from Argentina so she was use to foreign foods.)
Okay back to Lane. He complains that he can never get a haircut and has to be put on my waiting list. (speaking of, I think he is waiting for one now!)
He is a HUGE fan of Sports and I realized that the first night we were married when I came out of the bathroom and he was sitting on the bed watching SPORTS CENTER!
He is very good at tweezing his eye brows. (he had 3 older sisters that taught him that wasn't ok)
He has great hygiene. Uses Listerine AND flosses!
He is very good at math and budgeting (and he wishes I was too!)
He isn't passionate about any food really but he likes most food.
He is sooo excited to be building a house he goes there almost everyday to see it!
He makes up the best bed time stories for the boys and makes up cool characters like Pawson who likes Dinosaurs and Noley who loves playing basketball. (the boys looove it)
He likes to tease everyone especially me! For instance the other night we went to dinner with a group of people and we sat by some FANTASTIC older people and he had them giggling the entire time. When we were getting ready to leave she says to me, "you sure got yourself a winner!" "I would keep him if I were you." and "When are you guys going to come over and visit us?" I was like hey, I am funny too! I say funny things sometimes too! It is true though... he is funnier than I am. I seriously laugh every single day at him..... sometimes it is a fake laugh but none the less....
He finds GREAT jobs for students out there in the good ol U S of A! He will be heading out to Dallas next week for a few days if anyone needs a job there... let him know! (New Orleans is next)
He is a smart and handsome man.... he got asked out a month ago from a student that noticed he wasn't wearing a "ring" on his left hand. (he lost it when we moved here) So you better believe he got one in his stocking for Christmas!
Okay I could go on for days about my husband but I will end here so that he isn't the only one that reads this WHOLE entry!
OK Lane, now tell me....is this what you were talking about? More fun, more exciting, not soo boring?
(oh don't you worry I drummed up some good pics of ya too!)

I have an announcment to make....

Ha, you thought I was going to say I am pregnant didn't you?!?! Well I am not! Just wanted to let all of you guys that were worried SICK out there about our lost camera..... worry no more! It is found and all is well. I know some of you lost sleep over this problem we had but rest assured problem solved. Actually about 10 minutes after I posted yesterday I unpacked our bags from Utah and there she was, tucked away in our suitcase. RIGHT where my husband put it and later said "Oh that is where I remember seeing it!"
Here are a few pics of Christmas here at Gma's house. The boys were in heaven and it is always so fun to see the excitement. Especially when you hear over and over, "mom? how did he know I wanted this?" and then Cole saying over and over in a question form "Santa nice?!" Like he couldn't believe that scary man with a big white beard would actually be so nice to give him a bouncing castle...WOW! Sad but true that I don't have very many pics to be shared on Christmas.... we did mostly video's and I am more than sure that most of you aren't interested in watching that! (i am still working on getting the video's sent to you guys though Kitty and Nobby) Also, this year the boys got to sit on Santa's lap 3 times. Dawson said he liked the first one the best (here at the Sugar Factory in Rigby.) I think it is because Santa is upstairs and when you are done you get back downstairs by going down this big slide. The second one was our ward Christmas party and the 3rd was my cousin's husband that came over to my mom's house on Christmas eve. (Chris, you were Dawson's 2nd favorite!)
Also for Christmas my mom got the boys (well I got the boys backpack/tent/sleeping bag/flashlight/water bottle/bug catcher/compass sets. She payed and I picked it out for her since she was sooo busy! And who knows better what their kids want and need but the parents themselves right? Anyways, the boys LOVED "camping out" in their tents in their bedroom for 3 nights after they got them. As soon as I ask Lisa if she could please send me pics of our Christmas there than I will post those pics too! Also, still coming is pics of Geri and Jason's wedding, and Lisa and Todd's engagement pics! (that is lane's older sister and her fiance) Here is to a the start of a GREAT New Year!

"Houston, we have a problem!"

We can't find our camera!!! It is a crying shame not only cuz there is Christmas moments on there BUT we couldn't take pictures of my sister Geri's wedding on Dec. 27th! It was BEAUTIFUL and so was she so I will have to bribe someone to share theirs with me so I can share with you! Also we went to Utah for 5 days (and just got back last night) and didn't have a camera to catch some of our New Year fun with the Muranaka family! (boooo) Well, it was fun and we did a whole lot of nothing which was a little slice of heaven, after having a busy busy month. We had ourselves a BUNCH of Japanese food, played a BUNCH of guitar hero, and the kids hit JACKPOT with Christmas presents from Lisa and Todd! We hope they have our names EVERY year!!
OK well I am back to the hunt for our camera..... I need to look in our car under seats, but it is so cold out there I can't bring myself to do it. Dawson said he would like to go exploring today so I may bundle up and do it then. He had to stay home from school today with a cough (seems like we held on for dear life to the healthy side and then BAM couldn't do it anymore) Cole got it first and Lane is starting to get congested as well. You are probably thinking WHAT??? Audrey, you didn't get sick? The sicky of all sicky's is not sick??? And it is true....... I am a walking billboard of allergy shots! They have given me a new life. Because of them I rarely get colds which means my asthma isn't triggered and I am not feeling horrible for 3 weeks or more! Can I get a woot woot for allergy shots please? thanks.
So my sister in law Lisa read my last post on a few of my favorite things, and she had picked up a few of the items and had them there waiting for me for when we arrived to stay with her! I thought it was so thoughtful! She is a shining star!
Another funny thing from this last couple days is my little ADORABLE niece Annalaya. She is 2 months older than Cole and is half his weight. She is the most petite little thing I have ever seen. Anyways, with her cute little chipmunk voice and tiny body she sang and danced to the entire first half of the movie "Hairspray"! It was amazing! She knew all the words, screams, falls, and moves even before they happened! It was very entertaining! I told her mom (Lynette) that after watching her perform that I realized 2 things. #1 she is a GENIUS child and #2 she watches Hairspray a little too much! Needless to say it was pretty amazing and fun to watch!
OK well, Cole is pulling on my shirt sleeve so I gotta continue the hunt....... I HOPE that there will be pics to share VERY soon!

These are a few of my favorite things......

So this year has come and gone in a flash! It has been full of excitement and full of good things and full of stress and full of happiness and full of change!
I decided that since I have been so focused on the things in our life that are not going as we had planned that I would turn this post into a "what makes me happy" and "what I can't live with out" and "the little things I love"
I sometimes tend to be a little materialistic so here are the worldly items I am into. I will give a little shout out to my Oobees! Love them for many reasons. Mainly cuz they are sooo warm and fuzzy and cozy and tall. It doesn't even hurt my feelings when my mom makes fun of me for wearing my slippers in public....that is how much I love them...
Another thing that I wear quite often, okay everyday, is a necklace my sister Geri gave me. The reason I love it so much is because the best compliment I have ever gotten was from my dear friend Kellie Fullmer. It was one of those things where you sum someone up in 1 word..... her word for me was BALANCED! Isn't that what we all strive for as mothers?? It is like a balancing act each and every day. Making sure that you give your kids everything they need, save some time and energy for your husband whom you love dearly, make sure you do your obligations, making time to maintain friendships and making new ones, and than STILL leaving a little extra time JUST for YOU! Seems like it is such a balancing act of making a moment for yourself but not soo much you feel guilty for not being there for everyone else. (sorry if this doesn't make sense!) Anyways, it was so nice of her to say such things and even if she didn't mean it I am grateful she said it! (ps, the necklace says "balance")
I betcha if it rained 5 days a week you wouldn't hear me complain! You hear a lot of people saying that they get blue when it is gloomy out but for me, quite the opposite! I mostly love watching from inside on a cozy couch and a blanky BUT I do love being in it as well! When I was a little girl I remember it raining on my birthday and my friends and I hopped into our swimsuits and ran outside to jump on the tramp in the rain....good times!
I hate to even say this one cuz EVERYONE loves Cafe Rio but it is true.... one of my faves.... moving away has made it so it is a real treat when we go back to Utah and get to go. Pork salad please with black beans and no pi co or gauc! The only thing I am not a fan of is when they yell, "FREE MEAL!" yeah sorta makes ya feel like a "frequent diner"
I am all about a GREAT sale and I am not afraid to admit to being a bit of a sale shopper. Especially with my kids clothing cuz there are some killer deals out there to be had! I shop mostly for them at the Gap, Children's Place, Gymboree, and Naartjie and I RARELY pay full price..... there is such pleasure in finding a screaming deal! I consider myself a black belt shopper in that department.
The other day while playing outside with the boys I looked out across the yard and realized how much I love the look of clean sparkling snow.... IT TWINKLES! Such a pretty sight....
My life changed forever when we got a DVR a few years back. I thought when I had kids my Dr. Phil and Oprah days were over. Hmm no wonder I stay up way too late! It could also be considered a bad thing too.... I definitely waste more time because of it. Seems like when I should be heading off to sweet slumber I am either in blog land or watching something on the DVR. So, I guess it is a love/hate relationship.
Something else that I enjoy WAY too much would have to be Diet Coke. My favorite is actually Diet Cherry Coke but I am not THAT picky. I actually like whatever is on sale at the time (there I go again, looking for a sale) I really love it COLD. If it has been sitting very long I try to pon it off on Lane. He doesn't seem as picky as I am.
I got a GREAT birthday gift this year from my sister in law..... I wear it everyday and have people ask me all the time what fragrance I am wearing. It is truly a beautiful scent and I feel like a total woman when wearing it. When Daws smells it on me he always tells me that I smell DELICIOUS! You may need to give me a whiff sometime to see for yourself! It is Flower Bomb by Viktor and Rolf. (Thanks Mel!)
Who doesn't like a yum smelling house? I always seem to have at least 3 wallflowers plugged in at a time. (no worries, i have read the scary stories on the empty ones burning your house down so i am careful) My all time fave has been Brown Sugar and Fig but as of recently I can't get enough of Winter Candy Apple and Sweat Cinnamon Pumpkin. For summer time I really like Fresh Lemonade and Blissful Blackberry. Smells are definitely seasonal don't ya think?
It has been mentioned before but I am a big fan of the Doc. Lane's impersonation is hilarious (and somewhat legit). I think he gives great advice and I agree with MOST of his opinions and ideas.
Anyone that knows me knows that I am sort of a picky eater...but when it comes to treats, sign me up! One of my all time faves has got to be Baked Lays. I love the BBQ and the Sour Cream and Onion.... speaking of, I think I will go get some to munch on now!
Being that I do hair some of my favorite products to use for my own hair would be the Pureology shamp and condition.
For styling products I have been diggen the Big Sexy Hair root pump. (i use that on a ton of clients)
Hands down the best spray shine is Varnish. I spray on the hair OR spray with whatever pomade or wax I am using and I get great results!
Oh and I also really like the Hydrating Halo shampoo and conditioner. Dry climates call for some major hydration!
Since I have had the 2 little bundles of joy in my life my hair went from pretty curly to semi wavy to bendy frizzy. So on days that I go in public or actually do my hair I am always grateful for my Chi. (I secretly want the GHD but don't know if it is worth it when I really do love the chi)



Well, looks like I didn't get to all of them but I am too tired to to go on... I will be back later for the rest of my list..... Merry Christmas EVERYONE!

Baby It's Cold Outside

I would go on with the song but I don't know any more of the words. Incase you were wondering what we Idaho folk do for fun in the middle of December.... We FREEZE!
I don't have any snow pants for them so we had to put some fleece bottoms on under their jeans and hike up their socks. Cole usually HATES being cold but since he was bundled he didn't want the fun to end..... but after an hour and a half my toes were passed the point of cold and hit the point of PAIN so we went in and made us some delicious hot cocoa with the good ol cocco motion! My Gma loved their rosie cheecks (notice Daws has a mirror in hand...he must of loved them too!)