Happy Birthday to Me!

I realize the older I get that if I want a happy Birthday I need to make it happen, so this year as I turned 43 I had a birthday weekend.

On Friday my good friend Khristine Pettingill arranged a birthday lunch with some of my friends: Allyson White, Janis Harrison, and Jennifer Marchek. We went to Chili's and had a great time! That night Rich and I had dinner at Yummy Kitchen (a Chinese restaurant on Blue Ravine next to Mr. Pickles) and then a movie.

Saturday after Bekah's soccer game and Savanah busy with a fund raiser car wash, I took Lizzy and we got our toes done.

That night Rich took me out again to dinner at Olive Garden. We then picked up some beautiful cupcakes from Beth Wallburger (she has a side business called Little Delights Cupcakes http://littledelightscupcakes.blogspot.com/) She made me chocolate cakes with a pumpkin filling and topped with chocolate fall leaves, so yummy!

Sunday was church and then that night a friend brought over a super yummy Indian dinner with rice and a chicken tiki marsala. Every year our RS does a service auction, where you donate something and are given points so you can bid on other things. I won an Indian dinner from Danielle Post, with her brining it over on Sunday I didn't even have to cook on my birthday ;)

Rich surprised me with a Kindle reader for my birthday. I'm so excited about it because I love to read and there are 1,000,000 free book you can download as well as all the ones to buy, you end up saving a ton of money because e-books are so much cheaper!

Below are my pretty and yummy cupcakes

We had our friends the Marchek's over to share our cup cakes and ended the night with singing "Happy Birthday", eating yummy cupcakes and hanging out with friends. What a great weekend!

Remember for your own birthday not to wait for someone else to plan something but do it yourself, for yourself!

It's Time to Fly

When the kids went back to school I started a big project, I decided to clean out our garage. I started and wanted to surprise Rich because I didn't know if I could really do it and I didn't want him expecting something I couldn't really do. You have to understand that with the 5 moves we have done in Folsom everything that didn't have a home went into the garage including all the unpacked boxes that just kept being moved instead of tossed. You couldn't even walk though it. I wish I had taken a before picture so you could see the difference. Well Rich started to notice all the things I had found that made it back into the house. He said "Are you cleaning the garage or just rifling though it?"

I told him he just had to come see. I had done enough work that you could see a big difference, he was so excited, but was afraid that I would quit now that he knew. No way I was going to be able to park my car in there!

It took me about a month to finish, with a little help from Uncle Joe and the family at the end. It makes me smile every time I can park my car in there!

Soon after this Rich and I were talking and he was complaining that the kids can't have any friends over because our house was always a mess. After I got over being mad I knew I had to do something so I signed up for http://www.flylady.net/ again,

she helps you set up cleaning routines, declutter your house (you can't really deep clean with stuff in the way) and helps you feel good about what you get done. I knew it was working when after clearing off the dressers in my room Rich said" it's like our house is finding itself" so sweet!

My house is coming together, I'm even inviting the in-laws to Thanksgiving, I'm spending less time on the computer and just more happy with the work I'm getting done. If you haven't check her web site you should!

I Love Folsom

I love Folsom for many reasons, like great school, good friends, a fabulous Ward with the Sacramento Temple next door to our chapel. I've been able to go most Fridays to the temple while the kids are in school. I also love the wildlife, like the wild turkeys that live on the church grounds.

I love walking the bike trails. While Shawn Oddou was still visiting us this summer we went and picked wild blackberries on the trails near us, making 18 pints of jam, a fruit cobble with lots of extra berries.

I have been walking in the mornings with Lizzy and Bekah to school and then going on from there. I love the golden prairies and dark green oak trees we have here, I think it's so beautiful!

The drive from my house to Heather's in Sonora is one of my favorites, we go down Hy-way 49, there are rolling hills of golden grasses, dark oak trees and old fashion mining towns.
I have also been spending time working on memorizing the seminary scriptures this year, I walk around Folsom in the trees with my scriptures on my iphone and have been able to memorize many of them including JSH 1:15-20! I just love being out in nature working on the scriptures, it it helps not having the distractions of my home.

I would love it, if any of you came see our beautiful Folsom!

Happy New School Year

School has started for us back on August 9th, I know, that is still summer, what were they thinking starting so early!

Well I wanted to update you on all our doings.

Rich is working full time and taking a class on Wednesday nights to get his PMP done. He is also helping with Savanah's High school tennis team and has become the "team dad". He also tries to get out on Saturday mornings to play tennis with a group of friends . And he still helps time to time with Tre's scout troop.

I'm being a mom and working on cleaning out my house. I also help every week in Bekah's class and help with the carpool from seminary to the high school. I got daring and decided to cut my hair off.

Savanah is keeping very busy with early morning seminary, being the mia-maid class president for church, soccer (twice a week and games on Saturdays) and is on the FHS womens tennis team (practices M-Th and matches Monday and Wednesday) then throw in some babysitting, football games and church dances and that just about covers it.

Tre is now in 8th grade at Sutter Middle School and has been a good sport in riding the bus to and from school (saving mom a lot of time and gas) He is in Boy Scouts and loves all the camping they do. He still spends a lot of time inventing and watching Mythbusters on TV. Check out "Head Rush" on the science channel it's Mythbusters with cool experiments between show segments.

Lizzy is now in 4th grade with Mr.Gex (sounds like Jay, it's French) She and Bekah now go to Sandra J. Gallardo Elementary School, and the thing I love is that they can walk everyday!

Lizzy is also learning to play the cello in school this year.

Bekah is in 3rd grade this year with Mrs. Sansenbach, Tre also had her in 3rd grade. Bekah is taking piano lessons, which she loves and is good at. And like her big sister is playing soccer, twice a week practices and games on Saturday. Lizzy has been great keeping me company at Bekah's practices and games.

I hope you are enjoy your school year with your kids!