CHRISTMAS KIDS

I THOUGHT I WOULD TAKE MY OWN PICTURES FOR THIS YEARS CHRISTMAS CARDS. FOR HOW CRAPPY MY CAMERA IS AND THAT I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL I DID ALRIGHT. IT HELPS THAT MY KIDS ARE SO STINKING CUTE.....

BLACK FRIDAY

I FORGOT TO POST ABOUT MY ANNUAL BLACK FRIDAY!!! SILLY ME.... I JUST LOVE ALL THE THANKSGIVING ADS! I SPEND HOURS LOOKING AT THEM OVER AND OVER! THIS YEAR KYLEE PICKED ME UP AT 3:10 AM AND WE WERE BOTH SO EXCITED....WE MET UP WITH CRYSTAL AND TASHA AT JC PENNYS AT 3:30AM. IT WAS TASHAS FIRST BLACK FRIDAY. I THINK SHE WAS A LITTLE SURPRISED AT ALL THE PEOPLE AND I AM PRETTY SURE SHE WAS IMPRESSED WITH OUR SHOPPING SKILLS!! HEHEHE..... I GOT EVERYTHING I WAS LOOKING FOR, KYLEE GOT SHOT DOWN ON A COUPLE OF HER ITEMS DUE TO THE LONG LINES. THEY WERE HORRIBLE! WE GOT TO TARGET AT 4:20AM... TARGET OPENED AT 5 THIS YEAR AND THE LINE WRAPPED ALL THE WAY AROUND THE STORE AND WAS HEADING DOWN THE ROAD TOWARD THE DRIVE IN MOVIES. YEP WE WERE NEAR THE END OF THAT LINE! I KNOW SOME OF YOU ARE THINKING WE ARE STUPID BUT WE JUST LOVE ALL THE ANTICIPATION AND ALL THE PEOPLE! WE SHOPPED TILL 11AM. THIS YEAR AND I GOT ALL MY CHRISTMAS DONE!!! YIPPEE YIPPEE YIPPEE! THIS IS TASHA, CRYSTAL, KYLEE AND MYSELF AT 5:45 AM AT SPORTSMANS WAREHOUSE. IT WAS SOOOOO FREAKING COLD! ANYWAYS, AFTER A FULL MORNING OF SHOPPING KLYEE AND I DECIDED TO HANG OUT AT HER HOUSE. THE KIDS PLAYED WHILE KYLEE AND I WORKED ON SOME CHRISTMAS PROJECTS FOR HER FAMILY. WE HAD SO MUCH FUN AND THE PROJECTS REALLY TOOK ALL NIGHT THAT LEXIE AND I DECIDED TO SPEND THE NIGHT. WE MADE A FORT FOR THE KIDS AND THEY FELL ASLEEP SO FAST! THEY PLAYED SO HARD THAT DAY! FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE WONDERING ...WHAT ABOUT THE HUSBANDS? WELL, THE HUBBIES GO TO THE SAND DUNES FOR AN OVERNIGHTER WHEN US GIRLS GET BACK FROM SHOPPING. YOU KN0W ITS FUN STILL HAVING SLEEPOVERS WITH YOUR GOOD FRIENDS WHEN YOU ARE AN ADULT. THANKS GIRLS FOR ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL SHOPPING TRIP AND LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR!

DECORATING THE TREE

LAST NIGHT I BAKED SOME YUMMY APPLES WITH SUGAR N CINNAMON AND THE KIDS AND I DECORATED THE CHRISTMAS TREE. LEXIE LIKE TO GROUP ALL HER ORNAMENTS IN ONE AREA....LOVE IT!!!! ZACH LIKES TO REMIND LEXIE THAT THERE IS A WHOLE TREE TO HANG THE ORNAMENTS ON! I JUST SAT BACK AND LAUGHED AS MY 2 KIDS WOULD ARGUE (LIGHT-HEARTEDLY) AS TO WHERE THEY WERE GOING TO PLACE THEIR DECORATIONS! JEFF WAS SICK SO HE DIDNT COME OUT OF THE BEDROOM. BUT THE KIDS AND I HAD A GOOD TIME TALKING ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT DECORATIONS AND ENJOYED OUR YUMMY TREAT!!! I LOVE MAKING MEMORIES WITH MY KIDS....WHAT A GREAT NIGHT!

Thanksgiving Day

WE ENJOYED OUR THANKSGIVING DAY HERE AT THE STREBEL HOUSE! WE STARTED OUR MORNING OFF WITH OUR ANNUAL GINGERBREAD HOUSES! WE HAVE BEEN DOING THIS SINCE ZACH WAS PROBABLY 4. THIS YEAR THEY PICK OUT TRAINS TO DECORATE.... LEIXE ALWAYS NEEDS HELP GETTING THE FRAME UP AND AFTER THAT SHE IS CANDY GUNG HO!!! YOU KNOW HOW THAT GOES.....A LITTLE CANDY ON MY PROJECT AND A WHOLE LOT IN THE BELLY! ZACH STILL ENJOYS DOING THIS LITTLE PROJECT AND HE IS REALLY GETTING CTREATIVE WITH ALL THE CANDY. MY TWO KIDS DID A FANTASTICE JOB ON THE TRAINS THIS YEAR! I AM NOT SURE HOW MUCH CANDY MADE IT ONTO THE TRAINS BUT THEY SURE HAD A FUN TIME DECORATING THEM. WHILE ZACH AND LEXIE WERE DECORATING THEIR TRAINS JEFF AND I WERE ABLE TO GET THE TURKEY IN THE OVEN. ANDY, TAYA, MICHELE, AND CODY CAME OVER EARLY. WE HAD SOME DRINKS AND DID A WHOLE LOT OF LAUGHING. MY STEP-BROTHER, JASON, AND HIS GIRLFRIEND ,CELSTE AND HER DAUGHTER JASMIN CAME OVER LATER ON IN THE DAY. DINNER WAS FABULOUS MINUS MY PARENTS ( THEY WERE IN CALIFORNIA) FOR THE HOLIDAY. SO THIS PICTURE IS FOR THEM.... AFTER DINNER OF COURSE CAME THE APPLE AND PUMPKIN PIES!!! OH MAN THEY WERE SO YUMMY! LATER ON IN THE EVENING OUR FRIENDS BRIAN AND "ROXY" (AKA STEPH) CAME OVER FOR SOME DRINKS! WE ALL HAD A GREAT TIME TALKING ABOUT THE ADS FOR BLACK FRIDAY! SOME OF MY CO-WORKERS FROM TIMBERMINE WERE OVER AT GINAS AND RICKYS SO WE LOADED UP THE CARS AND HEADED OVER FOR SOME COCKTAILS AND GAMES. LEXIE RAN AROUND WITH ALL THE OTHER MILLION KIDS AND ZACH HUNG OUT IN THE GARAGE PLAYING ROCK BAND ON THE HUGE PROJECTOR TV! THIS IS A GROUP SHOT OF ALL THE GIRLS. I JUST LOVE ALL MY FRIENDS! THEY ARE SO AWESOME! YOU KNOW I REALLY ENJOYED MY THANKSGIVING THIS YEAR....MY 2 KIDS, MY WONDERFUL HUBBY, MY BROTHER, MY NIECE, AUNT MICHELE, CODY, AND MY FABULOUS FRIENDS! IT REALLY DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS.....I HOPE EVERYONE HAD A GREAT TURKEY DAY!

TRICK OT TREAT...

FRIDAY NIGHT ALAINA AND HER FAMILY CAME OUT TO THE HOUSE TO DO SOME TRICK OR TREATING WITH US. THE WEATHER WAS SO NICE AND THE KIDS WERE VERY EXCITED! THE KIDS RAN FROM DOOR TO DOOR AND LITTLE ARIAH JUST HAD ALL SHE COULD DO TO WALK IN HER PURPLE DRAGON COSTUME LET ALONE CARRY HER CANDY BAG. IT WAS SO CUTE TO WATCH HER WADDLE AND STRUGGLE. THE KIDS WENT AROUND 2 BLOCKS AND FILLED UP THEIR BAGS QUICKLY...THIS IS A CUTE PICTURE OF LEXIE AND TESLA DRESSED UP AS WITCHES... WE ENDED THE NIGHT BY HAINGING OUT AT THE NEIGHBORS. THEY ALWAYS HAVE A HUGE GROUP OF NEIGHBORS GET TOGETHER AND EAT DINNER AROUND THE FIRE PIT THAT THEY PUT IN THEIR DRIVEWAY.WE HAD YUMMY HOMEMADE CHILI AND HOTDOGS, HOT APPLE CIDER AND SMORES. THE GIRLS WARMED UP BY HAVING SOME YUMMY APPLE CIDER AND THEN HUNG OUT AROUND THE FIREPIT TO STAY WARM. LATER IN THE EVENING CODY AND PYPER STOPPED BY AND HUNG OUT FOR A WHILE. THEY HAD AWESOME COSTUMES... I REALLY ENJOYED HALLOWEEN NIGHT. WHO NEEDS TRICKS OR TREATS WHEN YOU HAVE GOOD FRIENDS, YUMMY FOOD, A WONDERFUL FAMILY, AND GREAT MEMORIES!

HALLOWEEN PARTY!

FRIDAY NIGHT WE MADE IT TO 2 PARTIES. FORGOT THE CAMERA AT THE FIRST ONE. BUT WE STOPPED AND BROUGHT IT ALONG TO THE WHITNEYS PARTY. I MADE 2 OF THESE REALLY CUTE HALLOWEEN TREATS. I JUST LOVE THE BLOODY EYEBALLS ( POWDER DONUTS) AND THE CENTIPEDE ( COOKIES AND CHOC FROSTING) I THOUGHT THEY TURNED OUT SO CUTE. THE KIDS REALLY SEEMED TO ENJOY THEM! THE KIDS PLAYED PIN THE BAT ON THE MOON AND RAN AROUND JUST PLAYING WITH EACHOTHER IN THEIR COSTUMES! I WANTED TO TAKE EVERYONES PICTURE WHILE THEY WERE IN COSTUMES BUT THAT NEVER HAPPENED.HERE IS A PICTURE OF US....ZACH WAS BOB MARLEY. LEXIE WAS A WITCH...I WAS LITTLE MISS MUFFET....AND JEFF WAS A SPIDER. THIS IS RYAN, ALAINA, AND THE GIRLS... BEN, TASHA, BOSTON, AND LINCOLN... I LOVE THIS PICTURE OF ZACH AND I..JUST CUTE!!! I DIDNT GET PICTURES OF ANYONE ELSE...I GUESS I WAS A SLACKER. I WAS TOO BUSY PLAYING WITH THESE 2 CUTE LITTLE GIRLS...MADDIE AND ARIAHWE LEFT THE PARTY KINDA EARLY THAT NIGHT DUE TO LEXIE WAS NOT FEELING VERY WELL. BUT WE HAD A GREAT TIME HANGING OUT WITH OUR FRIENDS. I JUST LOVED ALL THE CREATIVITY THAT PEOPLE PUT INTO THEIR COSTUMES!

CARVING PUMPKINS

THURSDAY NIGHT WE CARVED OUR PUMPKINS. JEFF WASNT ABLE TO STAY FOR VERY LONG DUE TO GETTING CALLED INTO WORK. JEFF AND LEXIE DID THE PART I HATE THE MOST....GUTTING THEM OUT. I FIND THAT JUST, NASTY! LEXIE HAD THE JOB OF TAKING CARE OF THE SEEDS. WHICH I MUST ADMIT SHE DID A FABULOUS JOB. THEY TASTED SO YUMMY! I HAVE FOUND THAT ZACH REALLY ENJOYS CARVING PUMPKINS...HE GETS TO PLAY WITH KNIVES! YA SCARY!!!!
HIS PUMPKINS TURNED OUT PRETTY GOOD! LEXIE DOESNT REALLY WANT TO DO ANY CARVING. SO SHE DRAWS ON HERS AND THEN I CARVE THE FACE FOR HER. SHE REALLY LOVED THE TONGUE THAT SHE DREW ON HERS. I LOVE HANGING OUT WITH MY KIDS! I WISH JEFF COULD HAVE STAYED BUT WHAT DO YOU DO?... LEXIE ARRANGED THEM ON THE COUNTER SO THAT WHEN JEFF GOT HOME HE COULD SEE THEM. :)

BLACK ISLAND FARM

THIS LAST WEEKEND I HAD TO BEG, BEG, AND DO SOME MORE BEGGING TO GET MY FAMILY TO GO TO BLACK ISLAND FARM OUT IN SYRACUSE. JEFF WAS TIRED, ZACH WANTED TO GO UP TO NORTH OGDEN AND HANG OUT WITH HIS FRIENDS , AND LEXIE JUST DIDNT WANT TO GO. WELL I PUT MY FOOT DOWN AND TOLD THEM THAT WE ARE ALL GOING AS A FAMILY. THE CAR RIDE OUT THERE WAS PRETTY QUIET. WE STOOD IN LINE FOR A SHORT TIME. JEFF COMPLAINED ABOUT THE PRICE AND ZACH JUST KEPT TEXTING HIS FRIENDS AND KEPT ASKING HOW COME HE HAD TO COME, AND LEXIE JUST COMPLAINED SHE WAS TIRED....... WELL, WE WALKED THROUGH THE ENTRANCE AND ALL 3 OF THEM WERE LIKE....OMG!!! THIS PLACE IS HUGE WHAT SHOULD WE DO FIRST!? ZACH, LEXIE, AND JEFF TOOK OFF RUNNING OVER TO THE SLIDES AND I REALLY DIDNT SEE THEM FOR 10-15 MINUTES!!!! I COULD NOT FIND THEM!YEP!!!! THEY WERE HAVING SO MUCH FUN!!! ALL 3 OF THEM WERE LAUGHING AND THEY KEPT REPEATING "LETS GO AGAIN!" WE PLAYED ON THOSE SLIDES FOR PROBABLY HALF AN HOUR! JEFF AND ZACH FOUND THE TEETER-TOTTER!!! OF ALL THINGS THEY WERE TRYING TO MAKE IT BALANCE.... I LOVED THE LITTLE CROOKED HOUSE...OF COURSE, LEXIE THINKS WE NEED TO HAVE ONE. THEY HAVE AN AREA FULL OF CORN KERNELS THAT LEXIE THOUGHT WAS PRETTY COOL. SHE IS MAKING A CORN- ANGEL HERE. JEFF AND I GOOFING OFF IN A TUNNEL UNDER THE HAYSTACKS!NOT THAT KIND OF GOOFING OFF I JUST WANTED A PICTURE OF JEFF AND I. ZACH TOOK A CUTE PICTURE! ANYWAYS, WE HEADED OVER TO THE ANIMAL BARREL THINGY. WHATEVER ..... I LOVE THE LOOK ON JEFFS FACE...PRICELESS HUH!!! HE LOOKS SO EXCITED LIKE A LITTLE KID!!!I HAVE TO TELL YOU...I WAS LAUGHING SO HARD CAUSE JEFF WAS LIKE... OH YEAH ADULTS CAN RIDE ON THIS TOO!!!! LOOK I AM GOING TO RIDE IN THE PIG!!

WELL AFTER MY 3 KIDS ENJOYED ALL THE "RIDES" AND PLAYED WITH MOST EVERYTHING I TOOK LEXIE TO GET A LIGHT SABER SO WE COULD GO IN THE CORN MAZE. WE FORGOT OUR FLASHLIGHTS! WOULD YOU JUST LOOK AT MY SARCASTIC FAMILY...REMEMBER THEY DIDNT WANT TO COME... THE CORN WAS SO TALL. I AM GUESSING AT LEAST 15 FT. TALL AND ITS A GOOD THING WE HAD BOUGHT LEXIE THAT LIGHT SABER CAUSE IT WAS DARK WITHOUT IT TURNED ON. LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING....ZACH WAS DISAPPOINTED THAT HE DIDNT GET A LIGHT SABER SO I TOOK HIM TO GO GET ONE. MY 2 KIDS HAD US LAUGHING ALL NIGHT LONG. ZACH WAS PRETENDING HE WAS IN STAR WARS AND THE REST OF US WERE IN STITCHES OVER HIS ACTING. WE PROBABLY WALKED 5 MILES EASILY THAT NIGHT. THE MAZES WERE AWESOME AND VERY LONG...BUT WE HAD LUKE SKY-WALKER AND PRINCESS LAYA(SPELLING) TO GET US OUT SAFELY. YOU KNOW... I AM LAUGHING AS I AM TYPING THIS POST!
OK, AFTER THE MAZE WE HEADED OVER THE HAYRIDE TO GET OUR PUMPKINS. IT WAS PRETTY COLD OUT AND IT WAS CLOSE TO 11 PM. BUT WE ENJOYED THE RIDE OUT TO THE PUMPKIN PATCH. THE TRACTOR DRIVER WAS PRETTY FUNNY WITH HIS SOUTHERN DRAWL AND ALL. WE TOOK THE PUMPKINS BACK TO THE CAR AND HEADED BACK IN . MY 3 KIDS WERE NOT DONE PLAYING YET. WE GOT HOT CHOCOLATE AND SAT AROUND THE FIREPIT TO WARM UP AND THEN HEADED BACK OVER TO THE SLIDES. WHEN WE FINALLY DECIDED WE HAD HAD ENOUGH I HAD STOPPED THESE GIRLS AND ASKED IF THEY COULD TAKE OUR PICTURE....WHICH THEY DID... I HAD TO PULL A GOOD ONE OFF ON ZACH... I ASKED THEM IF THEY WOULD LET ME TAKE A PICTURE OF THEM....WITH ZACH IN IT OF COURSE... HE WAS ON CLOUD 9!!! I HAVE TO TELL YOU.... LEXIE FELL ASLEEP WITHIN 5 FIVES OF BEING IN THE CAR. ZACH TOLD US HE HAD SO MUCH FUN AND WAS SO GLAD THAT WE CAME! JEFF TOLD ME WE GOT OUR MONEYS WORTH AND HE CANT WAIT TO COME BACK NEXT YEAR. YEP....I PATTED MYSELF ON MY BACK THAT NIGHT!!!!! AND MY KIDS ARE STILL PLAYING WITH THEIR LIGHT SABERS.....

WHAT THE SCRAP!!!

I AM LATE GETTING THIS POSTED BUT BETTER LATE THAN NEVER. A WEEK AND A HALF AGO I HEADED UP TO PARK CITY FOR OUR ANNUAL SCRAPPBOOKING GIRLS WEEKEND TRIP. WELL, I PICKED UP CRYSTAL IN ROY. MY CAR LOADED WITH FOOD, TABLES, SUITCASES, AND ALL OUR SCRAPBOOKING STUFF. IT LOOKED LIKE WE WERE RUNNING AWAY OR SOMETHING!!!! SO WE WERE DRIVING ALONG AND GOT TO TALKING AND NOT REALLY PAYING ATTENTION TO THE EXIT SIGNS....YUP....YOU GUESSED IT...WE WERE HEADED THE WRONG DIRECTION AND WERE ON OUR WAY TO EVANSTON WYOMING. THERE WERE NO PLACES TO TURN AROUND SO WE JUST SAT BACK AND ENJOYED THE LITTEL DETURE OF A ROAD TRIP WE CREATED FOR OURSELVES. OBVIOUSLY WE MADE IT UP TO PARK CITY BUT NOT WITHOUT A GOOD LAUGH TO START OUR TRIP OFF WITH!! I WORK WITH A GAL NAMED KELLY AND HER AND HER GROUP OF FRIENDS ALSO GO UP TO PARK CITY SO WE GOT TO TALKING AND DECIDED TO PUT MY GROUP AND HER GROUP TOGETHER. SO WE RENTED A BEAUTIFUL HOUSE THAT WORKED FOR THE 13 OF US. THE HOUSE HAD 4 BEDROOMS, 4 BATHS, AND A FAMILY ROOM DOWNSTAIRS. AND WE USED EVERY INCH OF THIS HOUSE!! WE HAD SO MUCH YUMMY SNACK FOOD IT WAS ALMOST SICK TO LOOK AT. ANYWAYS, WE ALL SCRAPPED THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. SOME UF US STAYING UP TILL 5 IN THE MORNING AND GETTING BACK UP AND 8 TO SCRAP AGAIN. I THINK YOU CAN SAY WE ARE DIE HARDS ALONG WITH THE FACT THAT BEING A MOM YOU DONT HAVE ALOT OF TIME TO DO THIS AT HOME SO WE REALLY HAVE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR TIME BEING AWAY. CAN YOU SAY MESS!!!! THE PICTURE I TOOK OF KELLY AND HER GROUP WAS SO BLURRY BUT THEY WERE UP IN THE KITCHEN AND DINING ROOM AND HAD JUST AS MUCH OF A MESS AS WE DID! SATURDAY MORNING ME, KYLEE, CRYSTAL, ALAINA, TRACY, AND PYER LEFT THE HOUSE BY 10 AM TO GO SHOPPING AT THE OUTLET STORES. WE HAD SO MUCH FUN! WE ALWAYS BUY SOME CLOTHES FOR THE KIDS FOR CHRISTMAS AND THIS YEAR WE DID A LITTLE BIT( OK I LIED ALOT) FOR OURSELVES....NEED LESS TO SAY ME , KYLEE, AND CRYSTAL WERE THE LAST ONES TO ARRIVE BACK AT THE HOUSE. WE GOT BACK AT 6:30 IN THE EVENING....YUP!!! I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT WE SHOPPED FOR 8 1/2 HOURS! THE FUN PART OF GOING SHOPPING IS THAT WE ALL SHOW AND TELL OUR PURCHASES!!! SO ITS FUN TO SEE WHAT OTHERS GOT AND THE GREAT DEALS AND IF NEED BE YOU CAN GO BACK OUT AND BUY MORE!!! WE HAD A GREAT DINNER THAT NIGHT! THAT WEEKEND WE HAD 2 BIRTHDAYS.....JODIE AND ALAINAS. SO I HAD BOUGHT A CAKE BACK HOME AND BROUGHT IT UP SO WE COULD SURPRISE THEM AND SING HAPPY BIRTHDAY! WE ALL STAYED UP PRETTY LATE THAT NIGHT. LOOK AT HOW MUCH SCRAPBOOKING PYPER IS GETTING DONE....SHE IS FLYING THROUGH HER PAGES...HEHEHEHE....PYPER LEFT THE HOUSE AND WENT TO A CONCERT THAT NIGHT WITH HER HUBBY AND CAME BACK LATER!HERE IS ALAINA, TRACY, AND PYPER IN THEIR SLEEPING ARRANGEMENTS..GOOD TIMES AND LOT OF LAUGHS MY FRIENDS!!!THE NEXT MORNING WE ALL HIT THE TABLES AGAIN PRETTY HARD CAUSE IT WAS OUR LAST DAY THERE! I SWEAR THE TIME GOES BY SO FAST AND YOU NEVER SEEM TO GET ENOUGH DONE. KELLY IS SUCH A SWEETHEART!! SHE GOT THE WHOLE GROUP T SHIRTS THAT HAD THE YEAR AND PARK CITY ON THE FRONT AND ON THE BACK THE SAYING " WHAT THE SCRAP!" WE WERE ALL SO SURPRISED!!! HERE ARE SOME GROUP SHOTS OF OUR WHOLE GROUP! WE HAD SO MUCH FUN AS USUAL. ITS AMAZING ALL THE "STUFF" US GIRLS CAN TALK ABOUT! WE HAD SO MANY GIGGLES AND GREAT CONVERSATIONS. IT JUST GOES BY SO DANG FAST! THIS IS PYPER, ALAINA, KYLEE, TRACY, CRYSTAL, AND MYSELF. I LOVE YOU GUYS! I HAVE SUCH A GREAT GROUP OF FRIENDS!!! THE WEEKEND WAS DEFINATELY A GREAT SUCCESS. WE GOT ALOT OF SCRAPBOOKING DONE. MET SOME NEW GALS THAT WE CANT WAIT TO SCRAPBOOK AGAIN WITH. DID SOME SERIOUS DAMAGE IN THE OUTLET STORES. WE ALL GOT VERY LITTLE SLEEP. AND I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING IT AGAIN VERY SOON! SENDING OUT LOVE TO ALL MY SCRAPPIN BUDDIES!!! XOXO