ECONOMIC CRISIS

1 Year Ago:

I saw it on the news. Huge banks and business were collapsing. The stock market came crashing down. People were losing their homes. The unemployment rate was going up and up. In Utah, the prices of homes leveled off and gradually started to come down.

6 Months Ago:

I felt it trickling in towards me. Many Utah businesses were announcing cut backs. People I knew were worried about their jobs. Everyone started to cut back in their personal lives.

3 Months Ago:

I saw close friends lose their jobs. Tim's company announced some cut backs and mandatory days off each month without pay. We started to feel the effects of the economy. We were in the clear.....

....at least we thought.

2 Days Ago:

Tim got laid off. The economic crisis is definitely effecting us. If anyone knows of a good job with benefits please let me know. Thank you.

❤ THIS GUY IS AMAZING ❤

Adam Lambert just keeps getting better. Every song he sings, he makes it his own. I can't wait to hear him sing every week. What an amazing voice! There is no question that he will win this season!! I also really like Allison Iraheta and Kris Allen. Who's your favorite?

❤ NOT A LOT GOING ON ❤

I feel like I haven't posted in awhile, I guess there's just not a lot to blog about lately. I will just mention a few things.

1.) Please, everyone give a hip hip hooray to Hally! She is potty trained!! It wasn't as easy to potty train Hally as it was Addi. Addi was potty trained in one weekend before she turned two. All kids are different though, right? We bought Hally some potty training charts and every time she went potty she got to put a sticker on the chart. It took her a month and a half to fill up her chart with 25 stickers. Then we went and let her pick out a prize. Then we got a new chart out and she filled it up within three days! She rocks! She looks so cute in her "pony panies," I might take a picture of her in them and post it. 

2.) I got this picture off of my friends blog. Doesn't Edward look really, really GOOD in this picture? I am really excited about the New Moon movie coming out in November. Also, the Twilight movie came out on DVD, and NO I don't have my copy yet. Don't worry though, I will have it soon enough. I know I have some readers that have not read the Twilight Series because of the simple fact that EVERYONE has read it. Well, I think it's about time to put that pride aside and see what all of the hype is about. It's time for you to be bitten! :)

3.) We are ready for warm weather!! It can get really depressing living in a seemingly endless winter. I miss you sun. Please come out and play. Shine down on me and warm my soul and make my garden grow all day. Well, I might not being saying that when I'm.....

4.) 6 months pregnant during the summer and complaining of the blazing heat.

YES! I am pregnant! I am due in November. We're really excited and are thinking "boy thoughts" because this will more than likely be our last little one and we'd LOVE a boy, although I can also see myself with three little girls. As long as the baby's healthy, right? This is the first time that my sister and I are both pregnant at the same time and due within a month of each other. So exciting!

❤ SHAMU VS. PONY ❤

Usually Hally has to sleep with two stuffed animals. A stuffed Shamu and a stuffed My Little Pony. Recently I have noticed, when I go to check on her before I go to bed, the Shamu is out of her bed and across the room in the rocking chair. 

This was our conversation yesterday.

ME: Hally, how come you don't like to sleep with Shamu anymore?

HALLY: Shamu is being mean to pony.

ME: Why is Shamu being mean?

HALLY: Shamu keeps trying to eat pony.

ME: Why does Shamu try to eat your pony?

HALLY: Cause Pony won't go to sleep.

I love the imaginations of my children. I just hope she wasn't truly afraid of Shamu. No one wants their kids to be scared when you put them to bed. I guess Shamu will be banished to the downstairs toy closet for such bad behavior.

❤ TIM & THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY ❤

Here is a picture story:

On Wednesday Tim did this.

When he was done his pockets looked like this.

These were nowhere to be found. 

This

and this were locked inside the car.

He bummed a ride on this to the nearest gas station.

Where he used this to call me.

I had to borrow this from my sweet neighbor to pick Tim up.

We then went here to see what our options were. They gave us the key code and told us to go:

here. It was closed.

We went home and Tim bummed a ride to work the next morning from another great neighbor.

During this lovely person's (my mom) lunch break she: 

went here to pick up our newly cut from code keys:

then went here to pick Tim up from work:

and then drove Tim here to get our poor stranded car...

...the keys didn't work.

Mom drove Tim back to here.

I called these people and they told me they "accidentally" cut the key wrong. GGGRRRR!!!!

My sweet neighbor let me borrow this.

I picked Tim up from here.

We went back here.

Drove back here.

Prayed the whole way that the keys would work.

With an uneasy stomach, Tim stuck the key in the lock and....

...it worked!!!

Then we did this.

THE END

Lessons Learned

1. Always have a spare key.
2. Always zip up your pockets.
3. Buy a second car.
4. We're VERY thankful for good moms and neighbors!

VALENTINE'S DAY BOWLING SCORE

Hally - 95

Tim - 85

Addi - 76

Steff - 75

We went bowling on Valentine's Day and the kid's loved it, especially Hally. After everyone's turn she would say, "Go dad!" or "Go mom!" and then give everyone a high five. After her turn she would do a little dance on the way back. She knows she's good. Besides the bumpers, the kids did it all by themselves and I'm tellin' ya, Tim and I weren't taking it easy so the kids could win. Next time I will take my camera.

EMMA SMITH

This is a great book. I highly recommend it.